more clichés!

by JennaS_26

Summary:

With the trials of Umbridge, Hermione, Ron and Ginny coming up, what secrets will be revealed? Who will be hurt? Who will be lost? Who will be found? And what will happen to the true evil of Magical Britain?

Notes:

Okay, so in the spirit of honesty, my month off from this story was to get some chapters pre-written. Life clearly doesn't like me, so I have almost nothing done. Also, one of my co-workers has just put in her two week notice, and guess who is the ONLY person trained for her position? I really hope I don't get put back on 90 hour weeks. They really suck.

Chapter 1

RECAP
The next thing he knew, Harrison, Severus and the twins were greeting Lucius down the street from the ministry.
Lucius went ahead of them and slipped through the crowd with ease.
"All right." Severus said seriously. "I assume you have memorized your statement?"
"First time I read it," Harrison smirked. "Eidetic memory, remember?"
"Time to face the masses." The twins said excitedly, rubbing their hands together with glee.
"And maybe dissect a toad," Harrison added, heading for the hoard of reporters.
They were swarmed immediately, questions being thrown out from dozens of directions at once.
Harrison held his hands up, forcing the 'holy shite, you're all too much!' facade. "There's not a lot of time for questions. I just wanted to say that…" he hesitated, feigning sadness. "That I truly expected more from someone who was given so much power over the school. To think that a person would even consider doing such things to a student… I can't help but wonder what would have happened if it had continued. That's all I have to say for now, so thank you for your time."
Hiding his glee, Harrison stepped through the enormous front doors.
"Let's get this show on the road."

I would like to point out that I have absolutely no idea how real criminal proceedings are dealt with. I freely admit that I am bullshitting my way through any/all court scenes. And on to the story!

CHAPTER 1

At the lifts, Harrison and his family stopped.

“Hey! What are you lot doing here?” Harrison asked, wondering why any goblin would enter a building housing the ministry they so desperately hated.

Griphook and Fangor let Thortac answer, but gave Harrison fist bumps as she spoke. “Goblins are required to have three of the blood accompany them to any trials to make sure that the Treaty is not breached. As you are a goblin-” she glanced at the twins, not mentioning them, though they were considered goblins as well. “This rule applies to you as well.”

Harrison nodded and gave her a hug.

They chatted about nothing in particular as they rode the lift and made their way through corridor after corridor. Courtroom seven.

“Courtrooms one through four,” Severus began in a level tone. “Are for minor crimes, such as low-level theft, vandalism and tax evasion for example. Courtrooms five through nine are for mid-level crimes, such as semi-violent crimes, larger-scale theft and harboring fugitives. Generally things that would be given heavy fines as well as short trips to Azkaban. Courtrooms ten and eleven are for dangerous crimes. That includes anything from familial abuse to embezzlement in excess of five thousand galleons to magically violent crimes and people who have broken the Statute of Secrecy. Courtrooms eleven and twelve are for the worst criminals. Terroristic attacks, murder, treason, blood feuds, and line theft are the most common. Those trials are rarely without serious dementor guard and life sentences to Azkaban.”

Harrison nodded, impressed. He hadn’t known the ministry was capable of such organizational skills.

“Then why aren’t we going to ten, eleven or twelve?” George asked. “Umbridge used an Unforgivable on a minor. Doesn’t that belong in the ‘worst criminals’ category?”

“If she were not a ministry employee as well as a first time offender, then yes, you would be correct.” Lucius said, clearly disgusted at the hypocrisy. “It is a little known fact that courtrooms are also influenced by the Wizengamot’s pre-judgement of the case. By moving from an upper level room, a clear majority believe she is innocent. It will take quite a bit of convincing to make them realize her guilt.”

So much for being impressed. Harrison shook his head, exasperated. They had already made up their minds.

“In,” Severus said sharply to the trio. “Take your seats and remain silent until you have been asked to take the stand.”

“Yes, sir.” They all said, realizing that Severus reverted back to his dickish ways because of the people trickling in.

They were giving the goblins strange looks that varied from shock to confusion to distrust.

George, Thortac, Griphook and Fangor sat on Harrison’s left, as was custom for protection, while the rest of his family sat on the right.

“Do either of you know how this is going to go?” Harrison asked the twins, keeping his eyes forward.

There was a snort of amusement from both sides.

“Love, you’ve been through a dozen books. You know what to expect.” Fred stealthily took his hand.

“I don’t care.” He replied. “Go over it anyway? I need something to distract me from the fact that they’ve already decided on her innocence.”

“They haven’t decided.” George assured him. “They’re assuming. When the proof comes out, there is no way they’ll let her walk.”

"We can only hope that you're right. This place is so historically corrupt that even the 'bad' DE's are repulsed." Harrison added.

"Alright, love." Fred began, rubbing his thumb along the back of his husband's hand. "They're going to call everyone in, do the ridiculously long introductions, call for veritaserum due to the nature of her crimes, then ask for witnesses. At that point, you, me, Georgie and your parents will all give our testimonies, then they'll give the Toad's lawyer a chance to speak. After that, the only thing left is sentencing. All in all, we should be out of here by lunchtime."

Before he could reply, the maroon clad Wizengamot members filed in and took their seats.

Minister Fudge started in on the insanely long winded introductions, and after about ten full minutes of that, Delores Jane Umbridge was escorted in by two aurors.

She was wearing temporary suppression cuffs and the same clothes as the night she was arrested. They were filthy and rumpled, but then again, so was she.

To Harrison, that was almost clever. While in holding cells, detainees were given access to showers and clean clothes. By showing up looking the way she did, it was painfully obvious that she was angling for sympathy.

It didn't seem to be working. If anything, the people closest to her were offended by the… distinct scent.

"Well, at least she knows how to commit," Harrison thought with a mental chuckle. "I think her… aroma is about to singe off poor Madam Bones' eyebrows."

The twins looked at Amelia Bones and were forced to school their expressions at the look of sheer revulsion on her face.

"I'm just glad we're far enough away to avoid it." George said happily.

"The smell or the Toad?" Harrison asked, hiding his smirk.

"Both," the twins replied, both sending images of themselves laughing, while maintaining a calm facade.

Harrison had found that it was easier to control his facial expressions when he used the bond as an outlet of sorts. If he didn't have access to the bond, he would have laughed himself stupid in front of the entire Wizengamot over his inappropriate thoughts.

Minister Fudge-

"-Fudgypants-" George interjected.

-pounded the gavel on his parchment strewn desk. "I hereby call to order the criminal trial of one Delores Jane Umbridge." He cleared his throat.

"Attorney Macmillan. On the charges of child abuse, child endangerment, use of an Unforgivable, and illegal use of a blood quill," Madam Bones said calmly. "How does your client plead?"

"Not guilty, Madam." A tall, thin man said. His hair was thin and patchy and his face was full of lines and liver spots. He had a mouth full of crooked, yellow teeth.

"Please escort Ms. Umbridge to the stand, Auror Hellcroft." Madam Bones said sternly, eyeing the filthy pink monstrosity.

"We respectfully request the use of veritaserum, due to the severity of the charges." The opposing attorney said. Lucius smiled slightly, doing his best to hide the giddy feeling.

“Objection!” Macmillan called out. “Madam Umbridge is a member of this prestigious body, and as such, should have some-”

“Overruled.” Madam Bones said flatly.

When the auror accepted the phial, he put the drops on the less-than-willing woman’s tongue.

“What is your full name?” The auror asked.

With glassy eyes, Umbridge stared blankly at the man. “Delores Jane Umbridge, Bruscar John-” There was a choking noise as the woman tried to continue.

Harrison and his family were not the only ones who were confused at that. The entire Wizengamot, it seemed, were wondering why Umbridge was having difficulty speaking, as well as why she tried to give another name.

“I beg your pardon?” Madam Bones asked.

“Delores Jane Umbridge,” the woman replied emotionlessly. “Bruscar Jo-” Again, she was cut off by choking.

“At this time,” Macmillan said, ignoring the choking woman. “I move to have this case removed on the basis that this woman is clearly unstable. She will be seen by her family’s healer, who will make an assessment for the court.”

“That person has been spelled silent.” Fangor said quietly, looking at Umbridge. “The longer they try to speak, the longer they will choke.”

Harrison’s family looked at Umbridge, shocked. Her face was turning a startling shade of purple as she continued to try to speak. The noises issuing from her wide mouth were akin to being drowned.

“Someone stop her from answering!” Harrison called out, watching as she struggled to respond. “It’s going to kill her!”

When no one said anything, Harrison called out again. “What’s your favorite color?”

“Yellow,” she said, gasping for breath.

They were all surprised that she didn’t say pink, but at least she was breathing again.

Severus stood. “As a Potions Master, I will test the veritaserum for tampering. With permission, of course.”

After a brief moment of confusion, Madam Bones agreed. People couldn’t tamper with the potion. It was brewed onsite. The only ones who even had clearance to go near it were the Unspeakables.

The auror handed Severus the phial as soon as he left the witness gallery.

Several quick tests and spells later, Severus announced to the anticipation-riddled Wizengamot that it was pure. That only served to spark dozens of overlapping conversations.

“With your permission, Madam Bones, Minister Fudge,” Harrison said, standing once more. “My own Healer is here. I would like to request a recess, during which, Madam Umbridge receives a screening.”

“Objection!” Macmillan shouted. “As Mr. Potter is a witness, the use of his personal Healer would be biased at best.”

It was clear that they were floundering. This had never happened before. There wasn’t even a precedent for something like this. Tampering magics, sure, but to have a victim/witness offer their own personal Healer?

“Mr. Potter,” Madam Bones began, at a loss. “Why offer the services of your Healer?”

Harrison was ready for that question. “I, myself, have questions about that night. Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware of the fact that she cursed me, but I do recall her actions just before. Something was off about the way she was behaving, and if she was not acting of her own accord, I will shake her hand, accept an apology and leave. If she was acting of her own accord, I will see to it that she is punished to the full extent of the law.”

The consistent hum of so many whispered conversations grew to full-blown cacophony at that statement.

“Order!” Fudge yelled. “Order!”

Madam Bones was not as patient. She pointed her wand at her throat and said, “Sonorous!” followed by her own shouts of quiet and order.

Removing the spell, she spoke again. “Mr. Potter, if the Minister has no objections, I will allow the recess. Does your Healer agree?”

Thortac slipped out of her too-tall seat to address the monocled woman. “I will assist.”

Fudge spluttered as the crowd broke out into vehement whispers once more. “What is the meaning of this?!” He demanded, apparently not having seen Thortac, Fangor or Griphook before then. “You have no business here!”

“Excuse me, Minister,” Harrison said respectfully. “They have reason. They are here to ensure that the treaty enacted in 1632 is followed to the letter. By not allowing them to attend, the treaty between Goblins and Wizards will be broken. I hope it will remain intact.”

Having no idea what the treaty even entailed, Fudge spoke with Madam Bones quietly, ignoring the out of control audience.

Patience growing thin, Madam Bones swept her wand across the crowd, silencing them all. “If you are willing to explain, Mr. Potter, the Minister and I will agree to your request.”

“It is simple,” Thortac said, eyeing the minister with distrust. “He has been named and claimed as a goblin. Therefore, he falls under the jurisdiction of the Goblin Nation. This trial was given to the Wizengamot at the request of my client.”

“Do you have proof, goblin?” Fudge spat the last word as if it had personally offended him.

Madam Bones was less than pleased at his tone. “Mr. Potter? Healer…?”

“Oh!” Harrison felt stupid. “I apologize, Madam Bones. Thortac is my Healer, sister to His Majesty, the Goblin King. Next to her, is her mate Griphook, head of my family accounts, and beside him is Fangor, guard to His Majesty.”

Madam Bones’ eyes widened and her monocle clattered to the table, unnoticed.

“I have been bestowed with the Goblin Crest, and given the honor of a place amongst the prestigious Goblin Nation.” Harrison finished, showing his necklace. The option to admit his goblin status had been taken the instant Umbridge cast the crucio. To be completely truthful, he didn’t mind much. The information had never been much of a secret in the first place, though it had never come up. Then again, the color of his smalls hadn’t either, but was also not a secret.

“They’re teal silk,” George thought with a snicker. He cleared his throat subtly, hoping no one noticed.

“Permission granted,” she said, still reeling. “The Wizengamot will reconvene at eleven. Dismissed.”

Seeing the look in her eye, Harrison stayed behind, along with his family. They sat quietly as the courtroom emptied out.

For some reason, Fudge was the first person out of the room.

“Hey, Rita,” Harrison whispered, seeing the familiar beetle on the bannister. “You might want to follow him.” And, to his immense satisfaction, he watched the beetle scurry away before taking flight.

“Alright, Harry,” she sighed. “Start talking.”

Startled at the level of familiarity, Lucius stood. “I beg your pardon?”

Harrison snorted. “Sure thing, Amelia. D’you mind if I have my elf pop in? He gets the best coffee I’ve ever had, and I’m kind of addicted to it.”

“You’ll have to wait until we get up to my office, but only if he brings those raspberry biscuits I like.” She said, rubbing her temples. “Nothing’s ever easy with you, is it?”

“Not a chance,” the twins said, smirking.

“Professor, Lord Malfoy, would you care to join us?” Harrison asked, knowing full well that Griphook, Fangor and the twins were going to follow regardless of what they said and did.

The professor sneered at the students, but stopped when Harrison gave his hand a quick squeeze. Instead, he arched his brow in silent question, to which Harrison grinned.

“Very well,” he said with a long-suffering sigh. “Madam Bones, with your permission, I will accompany Mr. Potter.”

Harrison leaned forward, whispering quietly into her ear. “He’s the Prince line holder.”

Remembering the conversation from Yule time, her eyes widened. That was one of the lines that were being tampered with!

“Gentlemen,” she said calmly. “If you will follow me, please.”

 

When they were all settled in the now-cramped space, Harrison called for a tea service, which naturally meant tea for everyone else and coffee for him.

"Let's hear it," Madam Bones said wearily. "What are you going to tell me this time? I'm sure it will not make my job any easier, whatever it is."

"Probably not," he replied honestly, sipping at his perfectly warmed drink. "Where would you prefer to start?"

"You're a goblin now? Try that part." She sighed, dunking a biscuit into her tea.

"That's simple enough." He put down the mug. "I needed their help, which they gave, and the next thing I know, I'm being visited by a massive contingency of goblins. His Majesty was there and fitted me for a chain bearing the Goblin Crest."

"Why?"

At that, Harrison paused, biting his lip. “Well, er, they saved my life.”

It seemed as though his silent prayers were answered when Madam Bones simply nodded.

For the next hour and a half, Harrison gave her the ins and outs of the goings on at Hogwarts as well as his suspicions regarding Umbridge. He had barely scratched the surface of Dumbledore’s involvement in the ‘Sirius Black case’ and the mismanagement of illegally obtained Wizengamot seats, when they had to go back to the courtroom.

She was pissed.

Chapter 2

Notes:

Yes, this chapter is a bit short. But it's informative! Kind of. Next update should be longer.

Taking their vacated seats, the group was surprised when Thortac didn’t take her place, but stood near the Ministry Toad patiently.

When everyone was settled, Fudge called everyone to order.

“What are your findings, goblin?” The fat little man demanded.

Madam Bones glared at him. “My apologies, Healer Thortac. Would you kindly share what you have learned after examining the accused?”

Only after glaring daggers at the Minister, did she speak. “I removed eleven secrecy spells. The truth serum will work now.” With that, she took her seat between Fred and Severus.

Startled by her abrupt nature (which was stupidity in itself) Fudge blustered for a moment, then gave the all-clear for the veritaserum to be re-administered.

“What is your name?” Madam Bones asked again.

“I have two,” came the dead-panned response. “Delores Jane Umbridge and Bruscar John Umbridge.”

“Objection!” Macmillan called out again.

Without giving him a chance to argue, Madam Bones overruled him. “How old are you?”

“Forty-three,” came the reply.

She nodded. “It seems to be working. You may begin your line of questioning, Attorney Macmillan.”

Still annoyed at being overruled, the man stood. “Madam Umbridge,” he began. “How long have you been under the employ of this benevolent Ministry?”

“I have never worked for a benevolent ministry.”

Macmillan spluttered. “How long have you worked for the ministry?”

“Twenty-two years.”

“And, in that time,” he continued, his tone slick as grease. “Were you ever convicted of any legal entanglements?”

“No,”

“Right,” he smirked. “Since beginning your employment in Hogwarts school, have you been treated with the respect befitting an educator?”

“No,” Umbridge said flatly.

“Have you had problems with any students in particular?”

“Yes,”

The man grinned toothily at the members of Harrison’s group. “Was Harry Potter one of those students?”

“Yes,”

“Would you kindly give an instance of Mr. Potter’s behavior in regards to yourself?”

“He continues to defy my authority.”

“I see,” he replied, not bothering to hide his glee. “And how often did you reprimand his behavior?”

“At least once per lesson.”

“Have your reprimands had any impact on his actions during class?”

“No,”

“No further questions.”

“Very well,” Minister Fudge said worriedly. Was that it?! Why in Merlin’s name wasn’t he going to continue?! “Your representation, Potter?”

Lucius stood, tall and proud. With fluid grace, he strode toward Umbridge.

Either Fudge was too stupid to remember who Harrison’s representation was, or he was too angry to care.

“I’ll not bore the court with meaningless questions,” he said, sounding amused. This was too easy. “Madam Umbridge, did you have a vendetta against my client?”

“No,”

Slightly startled, the blond man hid his confusion with ease. “What sort of punishment did Mr. Potter earn in your class?”

“Excessive point loss and detentions,” Umbridge said dully. A small trickle of drool slid down the toad-like mouth.

“I see,” he said coolly. “Were his detentions abnormal in any way?”

“Yes,”

“What specifically did those detentions entail?”

“Writing lines for hours past the regulated limits with a blood quill.”

The courtroom exploded with horrified/confused/outraged/disbelieving conversations at full volume.

It took nearly ten minutes of Fudge and Madam Bones working together to get them all to calm and right themselves, but only after threatening to remove all ‘unnecessary’ bodies from the room.

Aghast at the idea of missing such a spectacle, they shut up pretty quickly.

Harrison sent out surges of grim satisfaction through both sides of the bond and was met with a sense of vindication. Umbridge was so screwed.

“Have you forced the use of a blood quill on any other students?” Lucius asked silkily.

“No,” she said.

Sparing a quick look at his son, Lucius addressed Umbridge once more. “If you have no vendetta against my client, why did you punish him in such a cruel manner?”

“I had to.”

Well, that was blunt. Harrison nearly rolled his eyes, but just barely refrained.

“Under whose authority did you use the blood quill?” Lucius asked, just as curious.

“My father’s.”

Lucius actually stopped. Why the hell would Umbridge’s father care about Harrison?

Not fifteen feet away, Harrison and his companions were wondering the same thing. Apparently, so was everyone else, as the conversations had picked back up. This time, however, they had the decency to keep their tones hushed.

“Why did your father order you to use a blood quill on my client?” He could not show his eagerness. What the hell kind of conspiracy was this?

“He told me that the Potter boy was on his way to amassing friends from every house. The houses cannot be united.”

“What the fuck?” Severus blurted out. His eyes widened when he realized he’d spoken aloud. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “My apologies.”

Giving a small snort, Lucius continued. “Why can the houses not be united?”

“Objection!” Macmillan yelled, covering up whatever Umbridge was saying. “Irrelevant!”

“I am merely attempting to ascertain the motive behind these alleged crimes,” Lucius said calmly. “It is perfectly relevant.”

“Proceed, Lord Malfoy,” Madam Bones said, ignoring the grumbling protests of Macmillan.

Giving a small bow, he faced Umbridge and repeated the question.

“Keeping the dark purebloods segregated from the rest of the student body will ensure that all half-bloods and muggleborns will continue to rise against the Ministry, as it is primarily run by pureblooded families. Being supplanted into the position of Professor would give me the ability keep the tensions high, encouraging the division-”

“Objection!” Macmillan cried again, this time much more desperately. “Hearsay!”

“Overruled!” Fudge shouted. “Shut up, Angelus!”

Trying hard not to laugh, Harrison bit his cheek. This was going better than he thought! Umbridge was digging graves and opening cans of worms! The best part was, they hadn’t even gotten to the night of the Crucio yet! He could think of at least twenty-five questions off of the top of his head to ask, but he had to put his faith into his father for this.

“Moving on,” Lucius said, not actually minding the outcries. It would do nothing but aid his case. “As you stated before, your father coerced you into using the blood quill on my client. Did he also coerce you into casting the Cruciatus curse on Mr. Potter?”

“I am uncertain,” came the confusing response.

“Will you elaborate?”

“I never saw who spelled me that night.”

“Did you cast the Cruciatus curse on my client?”

“Yes.”

“Did you regret casting said curse?”

“Yes.”

“Did you want to cast the curse?”

“No.”

The crowd went nuts and Madam Bones got fed up with the constant interruptions. She cast at least a dozen silencing spells at the stands.

“Continue, Lord Malfoy.”

“Thank you, Madam,” he said with a charming smile.

“How long has your father been dictating your actions?” He asked Umbridge.

“Since my birth,” came the dull reply.

That was... odd to say the least. “Miss- my apologies,” Lucius said, not bothering to hide his confusion. “For the sake of propriety, which of the two names given is your legal name?”

“Both of them,” she replied.

“Very well,” he said, no less confused. “Which name would you prefer to be referred to as?”

“I don’t know.”

Harrison and his family gaped. What the fuck was going on with Umbridge?

Even Lucius was at a loss. For anything to stick, be it the questioning or even sentencing, they had to be directed to a person by name. If she… he? were to be sentenced under the incorrect name, the entire case could be thrown out on a technicality.

“Why do you have two names?” He asked, trying to figure out which one to use.

“Bruscar John was my birth name,” she said, blinking slowly. “Delores Jane was given to me just before I began Hogwarts, when my gender was altered.”

“You are transgender?” He asked, desperately needing clarification.

Umbridge seemed to struggle with that answer, shifting from confirmation to denial and back again.

Harrison cleared his throat, gaining his father’s attention. “Just move on,” he whispered when the blond approached. “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but we can get back to it later.”

“You’re right,” Lucius said with a sigh. “I’ve never seen anything like this before, and I doubt anyone else has either, based on their reactions.”

Looking around the room, he could see dozens of confused faces, all staring at Umbridge.

“Find out the father,” Harrison said determinedly. “Apparently he’s the key to all of this.”

“Cruciatus curse and the blood quill notwithstanding,” Lucius began again. “Has your father in any way coerced you into committing any other crimes against the student body during your employment as Professor?”

“Objecti-”

“SHUT UP, ANGELUS!” Fudge and Madam Bones shouted in unison, though the latter did look uncomfortable at even sharing thoughts with the portly man.

“I remove points and assign detentions based on nothing more than houses. They are all well over the predetermined limits. I verbally abuse the students at every given opportunity. I praise bullies, reprimand victims, refuse to aid students when in need. I set up surveillance charms all over the castle, though many have been disrupted. I both listen to and view private conversations and situations to report to my father. I actively keep students from gaining their education. I write to the families of well-behaved muggleborn students to tell them that their children are risking expulsion by misbehaving and harassing students and faculty alike in hope that they will be pulled from school.”

Every jaw in the courtroom was on the floor. While the crowd was loud and clamoring before, no one said a word now.

“What the fuck is going on?” Harrison and the twin all thought at once.

“Do… do you want to do any of these things?” Lucius asked, still reeling.

“No,” Umbridge replied flatly.

“Would you have committed any of the aforementioned crimes without coercion?”

“No.”

“And, finally,” Lucius said, breathing slowly. “Who is your father?”

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the woman was blasted across the room and crumpled in a heap in the stands.

Notes:

Let's hear your opinions on what you think is going on, because even I can admit, this is some conspiracy theory level shit. And I love every second of it!!

Chapter 3

Notes:

Okay, guys. Sorry for the long wait, but I'm hoping to get back to this story now that I've finished part one of my Kitten series. This isn't exactly the most exciting chapter in the world, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. It picks up immediately after chapter two, so feel free to go back for a refresher.

Harrison was pissed off to say the least. Umbridge was sent to St. Mungo’s and now they couldn’t even continue to question her… him? Whichever. He had no clue how to address Umbridge, because he/she clearly had no idea either.

While Umbridge was toted off to the hospital, everyone else was being quarantined in the courtroom to find out who cast the blasting curse.

Though the goblins were legally allowed to leave, which included Harrison and the twins, the rest of his family were not given the same liberties, so they decided to remain. It didn’t matter, as none of them had any intention or reason to delay the proceedings. Unlike someone, they actually wanted this case to be solved.

That wasn’t to say that the rest of the crowd wasn’t upset at being confined, which quickly became evident by the shouts of protest.

To Harrison, though, it made little sense. All they had to do was let one of the newly arrived Unspeakables examine their wands. If they would just allow it, they would be able to leave in less than an hour. Really, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Each person would only be ‘busy’ for about twenty second each, but that logic did absolutely nothing to dissuade the masses.

Rolling his eyes, Harrison offered to have his wand examined first, knowing that he’d last used it in class the day before.

The Unspeakable cast the revealing charm over his wand and found that the last five spells used were summoning and repelling charms. While the repelling charm could have been used to injure someone, the echo of the spell was too faint to have been used that day. Oh, surprise! He didn’t use his wand in public!

Xia, who he’d nearly forgotten about, wriggled in his pocket. She was getting antsy, and he didn’t blame her in the slightest. Casting a glamour over his pocket, so that no one would notice it move, he returned to his seat.

He wanted to see who sent out the blasting curse.

Fred’s wand showed levitation, color change, sticking charm, and two water summoning spells. He grinned unrepentantly.

George’s wand had two sticking charms, two confundus charms and a color changing spell.

Letting out a snort, he mentally asked the twins what they had been up to at the castle.

“Never you mind, love,” George replied with a slight smirk. “You’ll see when the timer goes off at dinner tonight.”

With his interest piqued, Harrison leaned close. “Save me a good seat for the show?”

When George sent a mental image of exactly where Harrison’s ‘perfect seat’ was, he turned bright red and elbowed his husband in the ribs.

Lucius pinked slightly when all five of his spells cast revealed various primping charms.

No one was surprised when Severus’ wand revealed three stasis spells and two scrubbing charms.

The Unspeakable wasn’t able to test the goblins, as they used no wands for their magic. Harrison himself had used plenty of magic since his last class, but it was also done wandlessly, therefore untraceable.

“Why not just let Thortac look Umbridge over?” Fred asked aloud. “She had already helped before, but this just means that the case has to be postponed. It makes no sense.”

“The Minister, like most, is either afraid or simply dislikes goblins.” Thortac scoffed. “It makes no difference. They are merely wasting their own resources, including time.”

Harrison cleared his throat to hide his accidental laugh.

When every single wand came back clean, they were instructed to get comfortable. They all had to be questioned regarding the attack. It was going to be a long day.

“So much for being out of here by lunch,” Harrison said through the bond.

 

Even with half a dozen different Unspeakables doing the questioning, Harrison and his family weren’t able to leave until well after five. They were annoyed and hungry and practically ran out of the room the second they were able.

Despite the fact that dinner would be served in about an hour and a half, Harrison cast glamours over all of them and went to muggle London.

Having anticipated a quick lunch under the golden arches, Harrison had grabbed a few twenty pound notes out of his trunk before leaving the castle.

Thortac, Griphook and Fangor had no intention of going to the muggle world and headed back to Gringotts.

Needless to say, Lucius was incredibly uncomfortable in his ‘muggle look’, wanting his robes back. He now sported simple (tight) black jeans, an oversized gray button down and an unbuttoned black vest. “I look ridiculous!” He hissed, attempting to ‘fix’ his vest.

Harrison swatted his hands away. “You look fine, trust me.”

“Fine?!” Lucius’ brows rose into his hairline. “Nothing even fits! These trousers are too small, the shirt is too large, and-”

“I happen to think they fit you perfectly,” Severus said, eyeing his husband appreciatively.

Lucius paused, then subtly dug out a small handful of galleons and snuck them into his son’s hand. “I want three pairs of these,” he whispered.

Biting his lip to keep from laughing, he pocketed the gold and gave his father a quick nod.

The twins were wearing acid washed jeans, band t-shirts and jackets. Fred wore a dark blue blazer and George wore a collarless leather jacket. Both were pleased/amused with their clothes.

Harrison himself only shucked his robe, turning it into a messenger bag, as he wore muggle clothes underneath. That morning he had chosen to wear skin tight jeans in bright purple with several chains hooked in various places, a black v-neck sweater with the sleeves pushed up to show off the multitude of leather bracelets with studs and chains. He also removed the glamour covering his facial piercings.

Having spent many years in the muggle world, Severus easily accepted his own attire. Black trousers, an emerald green button down and a black blazer. “Dear, Merlin,” he said upon seeing their destination. “I haven’t been here in nearly twenty-five years.”

Harrison snorted and stuck his hand into his messenger bag to stroke Xia’s head. He was impressed at how well-behaved she had been through everything. She probably slept through most of it. He could ask her later.

After ushering them to a booth, Harrison went to the counter to place his order, not noticing that George had followed.

“I’m supposed to tell you that Sev hates pickles and Lucius loves onions.” George toyed with Harrison’s chains and leaned on his shoulder. “What kind of stuff do they even sell here?”

Harrison laughed outright and placed his order with the confused muggle teen. “Don’t you love when rich people try to slum it with us humans?” He asked her with a smirk.

The cashier eyed his group and giggled as she handed him his change. “Four thirty-six is your change, and your order will be out in a few minutes.”

He dropped the money into the tip jar and went to join his family.

After scanning the crowd, Lucius decided it was safer to abandon his usual mannerisms and relax… which apparently meant sneering at the lack of cutlery and practically inhaling two burgers, a large order of chips, an apple pie and a large coke.

“What was that called again?” He asked Harrison as he dabbed at his mouth with a flimsy paper napkin.

Harrison snorted. “Double bacon cheeseburger. I can show your el-maids how to make them.”

Lucius leaned close. “What’s a maid?” He whispered.

“Muggle version of house elves,” Severus said softly, not wanting to attract attention. “Well-off muggles hire other muggles to cook and clean for them. Usually women.”

“Why?” The twins asked, interested.

“Sexism,” Severus and Harrison deadpanned.

Lucius’ brow knit. “What is sexism?”

At that, Harrison gaped. “Is that not a thing in the wi-wealthy world?” He really had to be careful with what he was saying. He shook his head and continued. “A lot of people, mostly men, are under the impression that women are lesser beings. There’s all kinds of sexist rules and policies for loads of things. Less money for the same jobs, not allowing them to serve in militaries, using them as sexual objects, hi-”

“I think they get it, Harrison,” Severus said as their companions gaped in horror.

“I’ve never heard of anything so stupid in all my life!” Lucius said, a bit more loudly than intended. “How are women considered inferior to men? That is as ridiculous as it is appalling!”

They jumped when a group of people at the next table began to clap.

Harrison and the twins laughed, while Lucius blushed and Severus rolled his eyes, especially when a couple of the young women in the group eyed the blond appraisingly.

“So, gorgeous,” one of the bolder women said with a coy smile. “Who might you be?”

Her friends, along with Harrison and the twins, fought to hide their laughter.

“Much too old,” Lucius replied, smirking.

“Thirty isn’t old!” The girl cried out. “Fifty is old!”

Lucius choked on the dregs of his coke. “My dear, I am closer to fifty than thirty.”

“No way!” A few of them said, astonished.

“I am forty three,” Lucius replied, then turned to his companions. “Has everyone finished? Excellent. We still have to get you three back to school.”

“Aww, dad!” Harrison whined, driving the point home for the girl at the next table. “Can’t we go back in the morning? We’ve already missed-”

“No,” Lucius said, standing. He glanced at the other table “It was nice speaking with you, young lady. If you’ll excuse us.”

As soon as they were away from the restaurant, they all cracked up, except for Lucius, who was preening since having his ego stroked so blatantly.

“Duck,” Harrison said to George, who was closest to him. When George did so, he hopped onto his husband’s back and wrapped his legs around the slender waist.

George let out an “Oof!” but righted himself quickly.

Harrison had Fred and his parents grab onto him, Fred opting to put his hand inside Harrison’s back pocket, before apparating them all back to Hogsmeade.

“Remind me why I am ever surprised by your magic, Harrison.” Lucius sighed, adjusting a flyaway lock of hair. “I know I shouldn’t be by now, but you just side apparated four people. That isn’t supposed to be possible. Most can’t even take two!”

Harrison shrugged and played with George’s hair. “Onward, noble steed!”

George being George, the redhead whinnied and tried to buck him off while maintaining a firm grip on his legs to keep him from actually falling.

Chapter 4

The next morning, Harrison and Fred were woken by a clearly annoyed owl, screeching near their bed. George simply took Harrison’s pillow and covered his head, falling immediately back to sleep.

As Fred was closer to the horrid little bird, he took the letter while asking Dobby for breakfast.

Harrison opened his mouth to argue that they should go back to sleep like George, and was shocked to realize that his alarm would have gone off in two minutes anyway. Grumbling under his breath about the unfairness of it all, he dismissed the alarm and slogged out of bed.

Within five minutes, he finished his morning ablutions and flopped on the sofa next to his husband. "Wha'sa letter 'bout?" He slurred sleepily, letting his head rest on his husband’s shoulder.

"Umbridge is set to be released from St. Mungo’s tomorrow and the trial will be held on Wednesday at… ugh, seven am."

That woke Harrison up. "Seven?! Are they mad?"

"Course they are," came George’s blanket-muffled voice. "Mad. Evil. Loathsome. Racist. Stupid. Pick one, or don't. They picked them all."

Harrison snorted and practically leapt at the skull and crossbone painted carafe as soon as it appeared on the coffee table. "Thank you, Dobby," he said delightedly.

Both of his husbands' jaws dropped when Harrison let out a borderline lewd moan as he drank his paint stripper.

Don't talk to me until I've gotten a refill.

He chuckled at the phrase change, amazed at not having seen it repeat any phrases yet.

"You know, Freddie," George said, popping his back with an impressive stretch. "I think he likes Dobby better than he likes us."

"Of course he does," Dobby said casually. "We've already planned out your disappearances and our impending honeymoon."

They all burst into raucous laughter while Dobby played innocent, pouring tea for the twins.

"You know what I like, Dobby." George said with a loud yawn, finally slipping off the bed. "Two cyanide cubes and a splash of arsenic, please."

Rolling his eyes, the elf dropped three cubes of sugar (knowing George only said two so that people would stop getting on him about too much sugar) and added a little cream.

"So," Fred began casually. "Where are you two lovebirds going for your honeymoon?"

Without skipping a beat, Harrison looked at the twins. "Holland for a month."

"I've always wanted to go," Dobby added, sighing dreamily for effect.

 

Defense was canceled for some reason, but Harrison didn't mind. The professor was annoying and he didn't need the class anyway. In all honesty, he didn't need any of them anymore. He was staying for a few reasons, but gaining an education wasn't one of them. The most important was the twins. He knew they wanted to just say 'to hell with it' and leave, but he wanted them to get their NEWT's. He knew that they wanted it too. No one would take them seriously in the business world if they were dropouts. The second most important was the fact that it literally was his castle. If he was feeling spiteful, he could evict every person, animal and spirit. Not that he would ever do that. Hogwarts was home to more people than just him.

"Mr. Potter!"

Harrison jerked at Professor McGonagall's tone. "Sorry, Professor. What was the question?"

 

Tuesday went just as slowly as Monday, and Harrison was convinced that someone simply had to be using a time turner. There was no other explanation. No single day in the history of the universes dragged on the way the last two have been. It had to be against the laws of physics.

On Tuesday, however, the twins were summoned to the Headmaster’s office.

Harrison just nodded and waved them off casually, under the pretense of being too busy studying to give a fig, focusing on the bond all the while. “Let me know when you get to Dumbledingbat’s office. I’m going down to see mum in case we need his help.”

Concentrating on someone else moving through the long corridors and staircases while attempting to move in the opposite direction was confusing. He could have used the Rowena’s library exit, but decided to play it safe and take the long route.

After all, Dumbles had been using the Trio of Trash to follow him for years, so it would be completely within the realm of possibility for the man to have found other spies.

Harrison knocked on his mum’s door rhythmically and walked in. He could feel from the wards that only his dad was visiting.

“Do you ever get any work done?” Harrison joked to his dad. The man was always here.

Currently, Lucius was sitting at Severus’ desk, with Severus in his lap.

“See?” Harrison began, indicating his mum. “Even with you here, most likely doing your best to be a distraction, mum’s still finishing up for the night.”

Ignoring his seat, Severus made a large red slash through at least two paragraphs of some poor kid’s homework and looked up. “How are you, Harrison?”

“I’m fine,” he said, taking a seat on the settee. “The twins were called up to Dumbles' office, so I thought I would come here, just in case we needed your help with anything.” Checking back in on the bond, he was amused to find the twins skipping up the gargoyle guarded steps.

“We were just waiting on you, love.” George told him as he knocked on the Headmaster’s door like a crazy person.

Lucius called for tea.

Fred mentally rolled his eyes as they were bid entry. “How d’you think he was able to change the password to his office? Wasn’t it still ‘Harder, Minister, Harder!’?”

“No, this week it was ‘Fwooper tosser’.”

“No, that was last week,” George added. “Good afternoon-”

“Headmaster! To what-”

“Do we owe this most-”

“Gracious and unexpected-”

“Pleasure?” They, as always, finished in unison.

“Oh, wait! This week was ‘Bobbin on centaur knob’.” George informed them.

Harrison spit his tea out. He hadn’t come up with that!

“Course not! It was my turn!”

“I’m telling Firenze.” Harrison thought with a smirk. “Nope. I’m telling Bane. He hates everyone.”

“Are you quite alright, Mr. Weasley?” The Headmaster asked in what he clearly thought to be a kindly and concerned tone. “You’re rather pale.”

“It’s the ginger curse, Headmaster,” George replied with feigned sadness. “All red and white.”

“Otherwise known as the candy cane curse.” Fred added, shaking his head.

“It might amuse you both to know that I myself, many decades ago, was stricken with the so-called ‘candy cane curse’.” The old man said with a chuckle.

Harrison was assaulted by waves of disgust from his Gemini and burst out laughing.

Outwardly, the twins were merely smiling in ‘amusement’, while wondering what color to dye their hair.

“Pink and purple!” Harrison mentally shouted, still laughing. “Horizontal stripes!”

When he explained his outburst to his parents, they laughed along.

Severus snorted. “The Lex Luthor look would be better suited.”

For a moment, Harrison was confused. He blinked in surprise. “You read comic books?”

“Thirty odd years ago, yes.”

Harrison sent an image of Lex Luthor to the twins, having seen Diddy Dinkum’s secret stash of magazines and comics while cleaning the pig’s room. The magazines had been revolting, but some of the comics were entertaining. It was hilarious to realize that he was hiding his superhero comics with some seriously disturbing skin mags because in the Dursley’s eyes, superheroes had ‘freakish abilities’, which were just as evil as the torture porn.

“So, what’s up?” Fred eventually asked.

“Actually, my dear boys,” he began in that irritatingly condescending tone. “I was hoping I might convince you both to assist me with something of the utmost importance.”

The twins' brows knit in confusion. What did the old bastard want from them? He’d never spoken to them before, barring scolding them for pranks over the years. The last time was more than a year ago, when they’d charmed all of the toilet seats to sing the Chudley Cannons anthem, with sticking charms that wouldn’t wear off until the entire stupid song was over. They’d gotten off with a ten point loss between them both and a single detention with Hagrid, collecting various foods to try out on those nasty blast-ended skrewts.

“I was so happy when those bloody things killed/ate each other. They were awful. Half the students in my year have scars on their hands and arms from them.” Harrison rolled his eyes, recalling the disturbing creatures.

They both snickered.

“So, what’s this-” George began.

“Important mission?” Fred finished.

“Well, my boys,” Dumbles said, rummaging around his candy dish. “Forgive an old man’s manners. Would you like one? I’ve recently discovered a muggle sweet known as Gobstoppers. Strange things, but quite festive. They change color, you see.”

“No, thank you-”

“Sir. Mum would-”

“Skin us if we-”

“Would ruin our-”

“Supper with sweets.”

“Good call.” Harrison said immediately. “They’re too hard to chew, so you’d have to suck on them. If he dosed the things with any potions, you’d be in real trouble.”

“Ah,” he said, nodding. “That is a wise choice. I myself have a tendency to… overindulge from time to time. In any case, I would like to ask for your assistance regarding Mr. Potter.”

“What?!” The triad mentally shouted.

“I’m not sure what you mean, sir…” Fred said, momentarily forgetting to use the so-called ‘twin speak’.

“Is there something wrong with Harry?” George asked, tilting his head in faux concern.

“As of yet, my boys, I am unsure.” The old man sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I am rather concerned by his behaviour this year. His drastic change in appearance, his grades, even his friends. Were it a gradual change, I might not worry, but it is rather abrupt.”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“He looks good-”

“Gets good grades-”

“Seems happy-”

“And has lots-”

“Of new friends. Isn’t-”

“That a good thing?”

“Naturally,” he replied cryptically, stroking his long beard. “Or, it would be, were it not so sudden or drastic. I am concerned that there might be something darker at work here. It is almost as if he has been…” The Headmaster’s voice dropped off ominously.

“Is he seriously going for the ‘possessed’ angle?” Harrison rolled his eyes.

“Well, yeah, he’s been different,” Fred said, now only semi-feigning his confusion. “But it’s all good things. Bill did something similar when he was here.”

“Yeah,” George nodded. “He stopped letting mum cut his hair and got his ears pierced, started dressing like a-what was it Freddie?”

“A muggle thug?”

“No, not a thug,”

“Hoodlum!” They shouted together, startling the Headmaster enough to jerk his teacup. Tea splashed onto the desktop.

Harrison chuckled, helping himself to a scone. “Alright, since he’s trying to get you two to decide on possession for yourselves, have fun with it. Make him regret asking you for help. Let him think that you’re too irresponsible and immature.”

The twins sent back devilish grins.

George gasped. “D’you think-no, it isn’t possible.”

“Couldn’t be,” Fred said, shaking his head for effect. “It would have to be… well, no, that doesn’t sound right either.”

“Course not, don’t be ridiculous. No one’s seen a case like that in decades!”

“I’ve got it!” Fred said enthusiastically. “Muggles have a cure for that too!”

“They do,” George said slowly, quickly gauging the professor’s reactions. He looked both excited and worried. “It requires lots of exercise.”

“Sorry, Georgie. Not quite. An exorcism.” Fred’s voice was serious to the point of chilling.

“Shame, that,” George said, seemingly unaffected by his brothers’ tone. “I’d have enjoyed helping Harrikins with some one-on-one exercise. Those tongue rings? I’d sign up.”

“There is an appeal,” Fred said thoughtfully.

“My boys…” The Headmaster looked a bit green. “That is not what I had in mind.”

They huffed. “Sorry, sir.”

“So, what did you have in mind?”

“At this time,” he said gravely, still stroking his beard. “Very little. I believe he needs to be watched for now.”

“Make him work for it,” Harrison said, gaining approving looks from his parents as he explained it aloud. “See if he is willing to offer you money like with the others. He could be brought up on charges for that, especially when the right people find out where he attempts to get the money from.”

“You, love, are utterly brilliant.”

“All in a day’s work, Freddie.” He snorted.

“Sir,” George began, sounding uncomfortable. “It’s a reasonable enough request and all, but…”

“But?” The Headmaster prompted, clearly trying to reign in his glee. “What is it, boys?”

“You see, sir,” Fred said, looking sheepish. “We’ve been using all our spare time to build up stock for our future store. Between that and school work and quidditch and building up some kind of-”

“I understand, Mr. Weasley," he interrupted, putting up a hand. "Am I correct in assuming that one of your difficulties is with the… financial aspect of things?”

“Hook, line and bloody sinker!” Harrison mentally cheered and turned to his parents. “How is the old bastard so easily manipulated? Isn’t he supposed to be intelligent?”

“Well,” George rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, it is a bit… tricky… with limited… erm, funds, I suppose.”

Fred picked it up. “But we’re working on it, sir. It just takes time, right?”

“And if I were able to… alleviate some of those pressures?” The old man asked, eyeing them closely.

“What do you mean?” George asked, playing dumb.

“As I am asking for your time, it would be perfectly natural to offer you both compensation.”

The twins looked at each other with beautifully feigned conflict.

“Er, I suppose it’d be okay?” Fred asked, more than said.

“I hate to ask, sir, but..” George made a show of biting his lip. “How much money are we talking about?”

“I could separate myself from as much as a hundred galleons a month,” The old bastard said, as if deep in thought. “For each of you, of course.” (A/N: according to Google, that works out to $1,328 in USD)

This time, they didn’t have to fake anything. The shock on their faces was completely genuine.

“You’re not serious,” George said, gaping. Obviously they no longer needed money, what with their marriage to Harrison, but that was a lot of money for a couple of teenagers.

“I am perfectly serious, Mr. Weasley,” he said with a quickly hidden malicious glint in his eye. “Due to the dangers that Mr. Potter often finds himself in, I would consider it a pittance, as I am sure you understand. It is for his safety, after all.”

George bit back his retort, but nodded. “He does get into a fair bit of trouble…”

“So…” Fred began, sounding nervous. “Exactly what is it that you want us to look out for?”

The Headmaster smiled brilliantly at them.

Chapter 5

Notes:

I hope this makes up for the lack of 'action' over the last couple of chapters!

Harrison groaned and covered his head with a pillow, after accidentally melting his alarm clock. His nose twitched. The pillow vanished.

Eyes still closed, he sniffed deeply. He knew that smell. He made grabby hands and pouted.

“I don’t have a straw so you might want to sit up.”

Harrison finally opened his eyes to find Dobby perched on Fred’s side of the bed, swinging his feet casually, making a show of smelling the tendrils of steam coming from the occasionally vulgar coffee mug.

Dobby snapped his fingers and a cup of black tea hovered in front of George’s head. “Fred is already getting in the shower, and you’re still lying here.”

Narrowing his eyes, Harrison sat up with a huff. “It’s only five thirty! Why am I awake?!” Shower and dress, twenty minutes. Breakfast, ten minutes. Getting to the apparition point, ten minutes. So, why was he woken at five thirty?!

“I know what you can do with some of that extra time,” Fred’s voice teased through the bond.

He looked longingly at the massive mug he was being handed. “I need three minutes.” He waved his hand over the mug so that it was the perfect temperature. “Keep the water warm for me.” Two sips (huge gulps) later, he watched Fred through the bond and abandoned his half full mug and rushed for the shower, with his pajamas getting a bit snug.

Muffling George’s side of the bond, Harrison divested himself of clothing and slipped under the scalding spray. “Hi, there,” he said, reaching for the redhead’s soap. “Fancy seeing you here.”

 

At exactly six forty-five, the trio were escorted back to the courtroom by ‘Professor Snape’, who was being snarky as ever. Last time they’d been here, they were able to act naturally until people began to filter in. Unfortunately, there was a flood of people from the main entrance to the courtroom, so they had to be on guard. Really, it wasn’t all that surprising. With the sheer amount of scandal involved, everyone wanted to be early.

Relaxed and a bit tired, Harrison took his seat, once more surrounded by family.

When the last of the seats began to fill, Harrison leaned over George and whispered. “Hey, Thortac.”

Rather than verbally reply, she lifted an eyebrow.

“I want to talk to you about something when we’re finished here, okay?” When she gave a sharp nod, he resituated himself.

The twins caught his thought and smiled.

“Who do we want, Georgie?” Fred asked, keeping an eye on the long winded introductions.

“Lee, of course,” George replied. “What about Bill?”

“Can’t,” Harrison added. “He’ll be needed elsewhere.”

“Right,” Fred said, sending a mental nod. “How about Charlie, then?”

“Right sight better than Perfect Prefect Percy.” George agreed. “One more, then.”

“I already know my three, if they all agree.” Harrison said smugly.

“Who?” They asked, shocked he’d already some up with his list.

“Luna, Thortac and Draco. If I didn’t add Draco, he’d skin me in my sleep.”

They sent smirks, keeping their eyes locked on Madam Bones as she spoke.

“Bring in the accused,” she said firmly.

Once more, Umbridge was escorted into the room. This time, however, the difference was shocking. She was only escorted by a single auror, she was clean and presentable and even her ugly robes looked clean and presentable. Turns out, her hair was naturally curly, and without all the ridiculous makeup, she wasn’t quite so… toad-like.

“Delores Jane Umbridge, Bruscar John Umbridge, you may take the stand.”

Harrison was impressed that Madam Bones had thought to use both names. Using one over the other could have had disastrous repercussions, including Umbridge’s freedom, no matter the outcome.

“Madam Bones?” Umbridge said politely. The sickeningly sweet tone was gone as well. “May I say something?”

Eyeing her suspiciously, Amelia agreed.

“After giving it some serious thought, I have decided to continue to use the name Delores Jane. From this day forth, Bruscar John Umbridge no longer exists.”

Startled by the abrupt change in her entire demeanor, a few hushed whispers broke out, but not enough to halt the proceedings like last time.

“Very well,” Amelia said, making a note. “Lord Malfoy, your witness.”

Lucius stood, tall and proud as ever. “For propriety's sake, I ask that veritaserum be used.”

“I agree,” Delores said, shocking the audience. “I would like this to be dealt with quickly.”

An obscured Unspeakable gave out the dose.

“What is your name?” Amelia asked.

“Delores Jane Umbridge.”

“What was your Hogwarts House?”

“Slytherin.”

“It’s working,” Amelia said, gesturing for Lucius to take over.

“As a refresher of sorts, I will ask you once more,” Lucius began calmly. “Did you use the cruciatus curse on Harry Potter?”

“Yes,”

“Were you acting of your own volition?”

“No,”

“Were you, at the time, able to control your actions?”

“No,”

“Who was controlling your actions?”

“I am unsure.”

“For my last question,” Lucius said dramatically. “As you stated previously, you have been under the control of your father, which has led to your participation in illegal activities. My question is this, who is your father?”

Harrison put up a silent shield around Umbridge, just as a jet of purple light headed for her.

Completely unaffected by the spell, the woman spoke. “Horace Slughorn.”

At that, the courtroom exploded into overlapping, raucous conversations.

“ORDER!” Fudge and Amelia shouted together.

When the crowd showed no signs of shutting up, he let his magic creep out to do it for them. Within five seconds, not a sound could be heard.

“That curse came from someone near the front on the right. I can’t get a read on exactly who though.” Harrison said, looking for the faint shimmer of purple. Normally, he’d discovered, people could no longer see a spell when it made contact with its target. Harrison, however, could see what he called an echo. Unfortunately, the echoes didn’t last long, and he could only narrow his search down to a general area.

It didn’t surprise any of them that Dumbles was in that area. The only issue was that he couldn’t prove it was him.

“I’m sure we’ll figure out how to prove it was him, love. Don’t worry. He will get what’s coming to him.”

Harrison couldn’t help but smile. “I love you, Georgie.”

“Does that mean I get a preview of Soapy Harrison too?”

Fred snorted and looked up guiltily. “Sorry, tickle in my throat.”

Amelia and Fudge glared at him.

“Macmillan?” Amelia prompted.

“Thank you, Madam Bones,” the creepy barrister said, smiling. “Master Snape? If you would?”

For the next twenty minutes, Macmillan asked maybe four questions, but altered in such a way as to make him trip up. Harrison didn’t understand why, but his mum was doing beautifully. Of course, it helped that they were being honest, even without the serum. He didn’t get why Macmillan was trying to make his mum look bad, but it was clear that it was the goal.

Lucius had to recuse himself as a witness, as he had taken over the role of barrister. Lucius was confident that the evidence was in their favor, which it was. At this point, questioning was useless.

The twins were actually questioned together when Lucius mentioned that they were magical twins. Apparently, that meant they had to be dosed simultaneously to avoid breaking the hold of the serum, via telepathy.

When the twins took their seats, the creepy man took to the floor with confidence. “I believe we should hear from Mr. Potter.”

Harrison stood, not fully understanding the need for him to testify at all, given the fact that Umbridge had already confessed. Nevertheless, he made his way to the stand.

“And, do you consent to veritaserum?” He asked snarkily.

“Of course,” Harrison said easily, to the outright shock of the barrister.

“No!”

Startled, Harrison and the entire Wizengamot turned toward the outburst.

“Thortac?” He asked, confused. “What’s wrong? I have nothing to hide.” His occlumency shields were second to none, so no one would be able to trip him up with unrelated questions.

The goblin stood. “As Mr. Potter’s personal Healer, I cannot allow him to take that potion. There have been too many cases of miscarriages due to veritaserum.”

“What’s that got to do with…” his words tapered off as hers registered. He barely noticed the thud when Severus collapsed. “Oh, shit.”

Every eye in the room was directed at him. They stared him down in a mixture of shock, horror, disgust and… delight?

Harrison dropped into his chair heavily. There had to be some kind of mistake. He couldn’t be… pr-no. Don’t even think it! Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! What was he going to do? He was fifteen! Gods, why?! Why now? Why him?

His breathing quickened.

 

“...risson!”

“Look at me!”

“Come on, Harrison.”

“Let’s get him out of here, before he’s bombarded by reporters.”

Harrison’s knees finally gave out.

 

Blinking slowly, Harrison saw a vaulted marble ceiling. None of his rooms in the castle had marble ceilings. With that alarming thought, he sat upright… and swayed. Headrush.

“Hello, bunny,”

Harrison turned. Bella was sitting in an overstuffed leather chair, smiling gently at him.

“Feeling better?”

As he looked around, he recognized the infirmary at Gringotts. “What happened?” He asked, ignoring her question completely. Well, he wasn’t in pain, if that’s what she meant.

“That was my fault,” said a voice behind him. Thortac. “I thought you knew.”

“Knew what?” He asked, and it all came back, crashing over him like a tsunami. Drawing his knees up, he rested his head on them. “Nevermind.”

“Your parents and the twins should be back any minute,” Bella said softly, rubbing circles on his back. “If it’s any consolation, your mum had to be stupefied to keep him from castrating any redhead that came within twenty feet of him.”

“How is that consolation?” He asked miserably, his cotton pajamas muffling the question.

“Oh, alright,” She said with a dramatic sigh. “It was just funny.”

“I apologize for breaking that bit of news the way I did.”

Harrison shrugged. “Better than the alternative, right?” He lifted his head to see Thortac looking much less severe than usual. His own words hit him like a freight train. “I could have killed it, and I didn’t even know! I haven’t been overly cautious, or eating properly, and the coffee! I drink so much coffee! I haven’t been able to function without coffee since I was twelve! What am I supposed to-”

“Try breathing,” Lucius said calmly, leading his family through the massive doors. “The twins told us you were finally awake.”

Said twins were wearing tentative smiles, much like Lucius, but Severus was entirely blank. And pale. Paler than usual, at any rate.

“I don’t know how this happened,” Harrison said, tightening his hold on his knees. “I mean, I know how, but I don’t understand. I wasn’t on any potions. I’m not old enough for this!”

Before he could blink, the twins were wrapping themselves around him. George was on his right, and Fred on his left. Bella had wisely backed off.

Severus sat in stony silence for several minutes before speaking. “You weren’t on any potions?”

“NO!” He snapped. “Do you honestly think so little of me?”

There was no reply.

Harrison closed his eyes as a wave of anger seeped through the bond. Fantastic. Now the twins were upset with him. How was he supposed to know this could happen without potions? There was nothing mentioned in all of the books he’d read before making the potion for Sirius! He was supposed to be safe from this kind of thing. It was supposed to be one of the only things he was safe from!

“We’re not mad at you, love,” George said comfortingly.

“Your mum on the other hand…” Fred let the thought drop off, not wanting to insult his mother-in-law.

“Is still an ass.” George had no problem insulting the man.

“Thortac,” Lucius said calmly. “As Harrison was as… surprised as the rest of us, perhaps you could scan him? Just to allay his fears that he’s done something wrong.”

“Yeah,” Fred said encouragingly. “Maybe we can find out when to expect the newest addition to the magical world’s most strangely blended family.”

“We do not need a scan to find out the due date.” Thortac scoffed. “You conceived on the day of your bonding.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Harrison asked, utterly confused. They’d had sex more than just that night, especially recently. Over the past week or so, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

“It is the type of bond you share. Nothing could have prevented it.” She shooed the twins away. “Though in previous cases, it was the Gemini who fell, not the anchor.”

Harrison’s cheeks burned.

“But, I thought it only happened a few times in history?” Lucius said, interest piqued.

“In human history, yes,” she replied brusquely. “Nearly every sentient magical species has their own version of this bond.”

“What do you mean that nothing could have prevented it?” Severus snapped. “I know of at least twenty-five different contraceptive-”

“None of them would have worked.” Thortac sneered at the potions Master. “The first joining of such pure, intense magic makes it impossible to prevent.”

“Why?” Harrison asked softly.

“Think about it, bunny,” Bella added calmly. “What happened when you acknowledged the bond? Then when you shared your first kiss.”

Thortac nodded and gestured for her to continue.

“Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that because all of your magic finally merged, it had to go somewhere to avoid levelling everything. It went… inward.”

Harrison flopped backwards and pressed his palms to his eyes. “It’s always me, isn’t it?”

Chapter 6

Notes:

Okay, this chapter feels strange to me. My sister says it's fine, but I don't know.

In his shock, Harrison put off having the scan. Thortac told him that his magic would let him know if there was something wrong, so it really wasn’t an issue. Harrison didn’t know about that, but he was terrified of getting the scan. For now, it wasn’t real, though that scan would be irrefutable proof, and he just wasn’t ready for that yet.

The twins were, for once, not in complete agreement about something. Fred had wanted him to get the scan, but respected his decision to wait. George, on the other hand, wanted to wait as long as possible.

Harrison couldn’t blame either of them for thinking the way they were. Honestly, he was caught between the two viewpoints as well.

He did his best to put it out of his mind for the time being. He could figure it out after the other trials. Or when they finally caught Dumbles.

 

Grumpy without his morning coffee, Harrison landed heavily in his seat in the Great Hall. Coffee, he knew, was bad right now, so he drank the tea on the table. There were a lot of things he couldn’t have, but he didn’t know what they were, so he stuck to porridge.

“Toast and eggs are fine, love.” Fred supplied as Harrison eyed the porridge in mild disgust.

“Yeah,” George added. “Molly used to complain about her pr-er… situations...? every time one of us made her mad so that we felt ‘properly ashamed’ of making her life difficult from the moment we were conceived.”

“That’s just mad,” Harrison replied, confused. “If anything, she asked for it, not the other way around.”

Fred smiled lightly and poured juice for all three of them.

They ate mostly in silence, occasionally saying something through the bond, when the owls began to descend. Whispers broke out shortly thereafter.

Not having a subscription to that rag called the Daily Prophet, he tugged the edge of whoever held up the paper across from him. It was Draco.

“Sorry,” he muttered, not even realizing his brother was there. “What the hell is going on this time?”

Draco’s face was twisted.

“Why do you look constipated?” Harrison asked, never having seen a look like that on his brothers’ face.

“I do not!” The blonde denied. “I was trying not to cause a scene. For your benefit, I might add.”

Brows knit, Harrison tugged the paper down again, wanting a peek.

Boy-Who-Lived has a lovechild?

‘You read that right, my lovelies! Our very own Harry Potter is being accused of fathering the bastard child of one Ginervy Weasel!
This ever-vigilant reporter was visiting a dear friend in St. Mungo’s, and happened to overhear a conversation that I just could not believe. Ginervy, who was saved from a long, cold wait in Azkaban, was happily chatting with several patients in the Janus Thickey Unit, where I was informed she was Not a patient herself. Wasn’t she sent to Azkaban with Roland Weasel and Harmony Grange to await trial?
At first, I could not believe it. How was this girl, a fourteen year old child, able to slip away from her guards in such a sparsely frequented wing? That, my lovelies, is one of many questions that I will find answers for, so never fear!
Ginervy was all too happy to tell me her tale of the whirlwind romance between herself and our very own Boy-Who-Lived. (The following conversation was printed verbatim.)
GW: Harry and me were together since my first year.
RS: Is that so? How did you two meet?
At that question, Ginervy’s eyes lit up, clearly displaying her love for the Boy-Who-Lived.
GW: Well, I was terribly shy at first. It was so silly, ‘cause we were meant to be. He actually visited my house the summer before I started at Hogwarts. I had no idea he was there, and wouldn’t you know it, I was still in my pajamas! It was love at first sight!
RS: So, how do you explain the charges being brought up on yourself, your brother and Miss Grange?
GW: This is all a huge misunderstanding, and when he finds out that those Death Eater wannabe’s are lying to him about us, he can straighten it all up. We will still be married before the next school year begins.
My dear witches and wizards, I was aghast. After all, what could drive such a young couple to tie themselves down in such a rush? All marriage contracts, as all of my brilliant readers know, have a minimum length of one full year of courting before a wedding can take place.
RS: How long have you and Mr. Potter been courting?
GW: Since he saved my life in my first year! He was so brave! Oh, you should have seen it! He blasted that dirty snake with the most powerful repelling charm I had ever seen! It was incredible!
RS: That certainly sounds impressive. I have to ask, why did you decide to marry so young?
GW: Well, you know… Harry is a born hero. He always does the right thing. Always helping people, saving people, you know. In this case, he decided to do right by his heir.
My dearies, I could not believe it. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, our Saviour, becoming a muggle statistic! Having a child out of wedlock is shameful enough, but at fourteen? As well as being a Lord twice over? It is completely unheard of!

The article went on for two and a half pages, calling him horrible things, the worst of which implied that he was a sexual predator. Ginny had only recently turned fourteen after all.

Angry stares and whispers turned to screams as dishes of every shape and size began to explode on every table, including the one full of staff. Food, drinks and even decorative candles went everywhere. No one was spared from the mess, though many did duck under the tables after the first few explosions.

“I’m going to fu-”

Alarmed by the thoughts tearing through the bond, Fred and George clapped hands over Harrison’s mouth.

“Love,” Fred said quietly. “If you threaten that out loud, you’re going to be arrested. Please, just breathe.”

“Well, at least we know why She-Weasel isn’t in Azkaban with her stupid brother and his equally stupid girlfriend.” Draco rolled his eyes, cleaning the bits of food off of his robes with a flick of his wand.

George kicked him in the shin.

With a white-knuckled grip on the table, Harrison slowly rose. If he didn’t get out of there, someone was going to get hurt, and he wasn’t sure if he cared.

Draco, Fred, George and all of the Slytherins followed him out.

As soon as he saw the guarding portrait, it immediately opened. “THOSE PSYCHOTIC, LYING, CONNIVING COWS! I’ll fucking destroy them for this!”

Fred began sending calming waves through the bond, as well as speaking softly, trying to get Harrison to relax. George, on the other hand, took one of the newspapers that the Slytherins were carrying. As he skimmed it, his fury rose.

In an instant, the twins were both clutching their heads.

Harrison stopped shouting.

The twins let out pained cries and promptly collapsed.

“Someone get Snape!” One of the upper years called out. Several students disappeared out the door as Harrison sank to his knees between his husbands, dizzy and nauseous. He shook their shoulders, trying to wake them.

“Mum!” Draco shouted. “I don’t know what happened. They just collapsed.”

His panic shocked the entire house.

Severus ignored it in favor of running scans. “Draco, get Cissa here immediately!”

“What’s wrong with them?!”

“Do as you are told!” He roared.

Harrison swayed and Severus caught him.

“Look at me, Harrison,” he said sternly. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Hur’ss…” Harrison slurred.

“What hurts?” Severus demanded, barely keeping calm.

Harrison attempted to lift his arm, but only made it halfway when he finally succumbed to the darkness.

 

“I’m so tired of saying the word impossible when it comes to those three,” Lucius said, letting out a long-suffering sigh.

“What happened?” Harrison asked blearily, rubbing the grit out of his eyes.

Severus snorted, tipping back a glass of brandy. “You and your twins have, once again, done something that shouldn’t have been possible. You know, Luce, I see what you mean. That really does get annoying.”

“What did we do this time?” Harrison snapped. “Did the Louvre vanish? Wipe out a village? Cause a tsunami? Stop me when I get close.”

“Very funny, brat.”

Harrison’s brows knit. Where did the arse go that was not so subtly accusing him of taking potions? “So?”

“It appears that the three of you have broken obliviates on-”

“But they can’t be broken…?”

“If you would cease your interruptions, I will explain to the best of my ability.”

“Sev,” Lucius said, exasperated. “Calm down. Yes, Harrison. The twins had been obliviated. From what we were able to detect, they were put in place two to three months ago. Now, until they wake, we have no idea what memories were masked.”

“Why are they still unconscious?” Harrison asked worriedly.

“We can only surmise at this point,” Lucius began, swirling the contents of his own glass. “But we believe that they were shielding the pain of the break from you, most likely due to your condition, and were more strongly affected.”

“Idiots,” he mumbled, looking at them both. “My head is still killing me. Can I… I mean, am I allowed to have a pain potion?”

“There are two,” Severus began, standing. “That are safe for preg-”

“Fine,” Harrison said immediately. “Can I have one? Please?”

“Not saying the word will not make it any less true.” Severus handed over a translucent phial containing a light purple potion. He didn’t hand it over.

“I know that,” the teen said tiredly.

“Say it.”

“What?”

“You heard me,” he said. His tone was stern, yet somehow caring. “I want you to say it out loud.”

Harrison’s jaw clenched. “Fine. You want me to say it? Fine. I’m so fucking desperate for affection that I jumped on the first prick that offered. Now, I have to pay for it. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m surprised. Nothing good is ever free, and by now, I’m used to paying. I’m fucking pregnant because I did something purely selfish. Congratulations, you were right about me. Now we can add ‘whore’ to the list you’ve been tallying for years! Selfish, arrogant, self-serving, glory-seeking-”

“Enough!” Severus and Lucius shouted in unison.

“Why?” Harrison demanded. “I finally admitted it. Gods know you’ve been saying it long enough.”

It was quiet for a long time, but eventually, Severus handed him the phial and left.

“How long until you apologize?” Lucius asked slowly, clearly struggling to keep his temper in check.

“Why should I?”

“Three simple reasons. First, you are very near adulthood, and doing things you do not want to are a very large part of that fact. Second, you already know that your mother’s behaviour toward yourself over the past four and a half years was not his doing. Third, you know you will eventually have to. I don’t particularly care if you are considered an adult by law. You are fifteen years old.”

 

Deciding to deal with it later, Harrison made his way to Draco’s room. He had to get his mind off of things.

“Morning, scarhead,” he said casually, flipping through one of his books.

“Morning, ferret.” Harrison sighed, plopping down on the wooden chair by the desk. “So, I know you already demanded it, but I am here to formally ask you to be in the wedding party.”

“It’s about bloody time!” Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Does this mean that you’ll finally let mother and I start planning?”

“As soon as I ask my other two witnesses, yes.”

“Who are they?” He asked seriously. “I have to make sure that none of your witnesses or the twins’ witnesses clash with each other! Are they sharing, or having their own? There’s already going to be a lot of limitations because of the twins’ coloring. It would be so much simpler if their hair was auburn instead of that dark orange-red. D’you think they’d let someone change the color, at least for the wedding? Could we do it anyway? We should-”

“Calm down!” Harrison said loudly, cutting off his brother. “What the hell have I gotten myself into? Alright, first question, my witnesses are you, Luna and Thortac… if they agree.”

Draco scrunched his nose. “We’ll never be able to match! Luna and I, sure. Thortac sounds like a goblin name!”

“Because it is, you prat!” Harrison sighed. “She’s my healer.”

“Oh,” he replied, surprised. “Well, what the devil does a goblin wear to a wedding anyway?”

“Battle armor,” Harrison said, preparing himself for the impending outburst.

Tapping his chin in thought, Draco narrowed his eyes. “Talk to me tomorrow. I have floo calls to make.”

Harrison could only blink as his brother left the room so quickly, he thought the blond may have actually flown.

“This was probably a mistake,” he said to himself.

Notes:

Okay guys, my work schedule has literally doubled for this week, so the next chapter will be late. (94% chance of lateness) There is a minimum of 6 more days of 12 hour shifts and I lost my only day off for this week. Please leave your opinion and suggestions. Even if I don't use the suggestions, they feed my muse, therefore increasing the chance of getting my content out on time!!!!!!

Chapter 7

Notes:

Okay guys, I'm sorry for the delay. I'm tired of adulting. I would much rather stay in my house and get lost in the incredible world of Harry Potter and pretend that nothing else exists sometimes. Oh well, a month later, have another chapter. It didn't cooperate, so it feels a bit... strained. Let me know what you guys think. Possible tissue warning for the end!!!!!!!

“So…” Harrison said slowly. “What brings you two here?” He’d been called to his mum’s office, but had no idea why. It became more confusing when the man had ushered him inside and left. He stroked the cool scales on Xia’s head nervously.

Sirius snorted. “Really? You have to ask?”

Remus gestured for Harrison to have a seat on the settee across from them. “Severus filled us in on your… recent discovery.”

“Right!” Sirius said with a nod. “So, are we doing congratulations here, or… something else?”

Harrison just blinked. “What do you mean, ‘something else’?”

“Well,” Sirius began, biting his lip. “I mean… you’re pretty young… and no one would blame you… you know, if… well, you know. You decided not to… keep it.”

It took less than a second for Harrison to understand what his godfather meant. “What?!” He shouted. “What the hell is wrong with you, Sirius? Just because I’ve already become a murderer, doesn’t mean I aim to add bodies to the count! Why the hell would you say something like that? Are you completely barking?”

“Whoa, hey,” Sirius said immediately, lifting his hands in the universal sign for surrender. “I was just asking. I don’t want to influence your decision either way, but we kind of need to know. You’ll not have a window for any choice for too much longer. I just wanted to make sure you were one hundred percent on board with this. Lucius said you were having some difficulty talking about it, so I figured you might not be decided yet either way.”

“Whether or not I’m struggling with this, I’m not lying about, just contemplating murder!” Harrison snapped.

Remus just sighed, rubbing his forehead. “He didn’t say you were, cub. You know we would support any choice you made. We just wanted to know if you had made one.”

Deflating as quickly as he’d gotten upset, Harrison sighed and flopped rather heavily on the settee, feeling many times his young age. “Yeah,” he said absently. “That makes sense. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, cub,” Remus said warmly. “It isn’t exactly out of the ordinary for you to be a bit overwhelmed at this point. It’s perfectly understandable.”

Harrison gasped as the bond sparked, and was suddenly trying not to vomit on his godfathers. After he took a few breaths, there was a spike of horror and concern before muting drastically.

Knitting his brow in confusion, Harrison faced his guests. “The twins are awake, but something’s wrong. They’re dulling the bond. I have to go.”

Rather than stay behind, Remus and Sirius disillusioned themselves and took off after their godson. Whatever was happening, it had to be important for the young man to take off mid-conversation.

Free or not, Sirius didn’t want to be seen just waltzing around the castle without having been summoned. He was still met with distrustful gazes and overly anxious mothers still pulled their kids behind any available hiding place the moment they saw him. Exoneration was supposed to be his ticket to a stable life, but it didn’t seem to matter to anyone but his family. Even that rat bastard Dumbledore didn’t seem to engage in confidence anymore. That, at least, was no great loss.

 

Harrison mentally probed the bond and cringed inwardly. They were in his mum’s private quarters. Sighing, he then nudged his connection to the portraits to gauge the atmosphere in the bitter man’s rooms. There was an obvious tension. What the hell was going on?

“Wait for me,” Harrison thought. “I’m right around the corner.” He stopped cold when a feeling of resignation cropped up from the twins. Why did they not want to see him? Especially when something was upsetting them? Were they so put off by his… condition, that they thought he was weak now? Too fragile? That was utter shite. They were the ones who put him in that position to begin with! Of course he’d agreed, but this was Not all on him!

Setting a furious pace, he stormed into the room, without so much as a flinch when the door slammed into the wall.

The twins were on the settee. Fred was cradling his head in his pale hands and George was leaning back, staring at the ceiling blankly.

Severus was the only one to react to the semi-violent intrusion. “What in Salazar’s name do you think you are doing? Slamming in here like a petulant child.”

“Yes, I’m a horrible person.” Harrison rolled his eyes. “Pick a new tune, would you?”

Jaw clenched, Severus ignored him and reclaimed his seat. “You were saying?” He demanded, watching the twins.

“I was joking,” Fred said miserably into his hands. “I didn’t mean for someone to actually obliviate me.”

“Hell of a joke,” George replied flatly. “Too bad it was taken seriously.”

“Forgive my callousness, but what the devil are you blathering about?” Severus asked. “I am assuming you are remembering something unpleasant. It would be prudent to share said information before bemoaning it.”

“Harrison’s not the father of Ginny’s baby-” Fred said, but cut himself off with a full-body shudder.

“No kidding!” Harrison said loudly. “I’m so glad you remember I’m gay, seeing as we’re married and all!”

“Love, please stop,” George said, finally looking away from the vaulted stonework. “Neither of us is having fun with knowing what we know. Trust me.”

“Would you care to elaborate?” Severus asked, summoning tea. Ginger tea, based on the green tinge of the twins’ faces.

“Only because we have to,” George said miserably.

“Would a pensieve be easier?” Harrison asked with concern. Whatever that memory was, it was hurting his husbands.

“NO!” They shouted in unison.

Severus startled at the shout and sloshed tea over his hands. Hissing slightly, he cleared up the mess and glared at the redheads.

Growing more and more worried, Harrison settled himself in between his favorite bookends and sent waves of calm through the bond.

“Should we call a family meeting?” Remus asked, struggling between confusion and concern.

Fred and George looked at each other for a few seconds before shrugging minutely. “Well, Lucius, at least.”

“Not sure anyone else will want to know, honestly.” Fred accepted the tea being offered, inhaling the light, sweet aroma.

Harrison, hating secrets, sent out a magical pulse. It was like something between a patronus message and a compulsion. They weren’t forced to obey the summons, but they weren’t given verbal communication either. The recipients would feel his urgency that they attend, but could ignore it if they preferred.

In under ten seconds, the floo burst into emerald flames thrice, in rapid succession. Lucius, Cissa and Bella emerged from the floo in pristine condition, not a speck of soot to be seen.

“Pohy!” Harrison called out.

“What can lowly Pohy be’s doing for glorious Master Snakey-tongue?” Pohy asked, bowing low.

“Don’t do that here, Pohy,” Harrison said, despite the fact that none but the twins were shocked at her behaviour. “They’re family. Can you get a full tea for....” he grinned. “Ten, please?”

“Seven,” Severus interrupted.

“Eight, nine and ten are about to knock,” Fred said calmly.

“What’s this about?” Cissa asked politely. “And what in Circe’s name was used to call us here? I’ve never felt anything like it.”

“Have you three been defying the laws of Magic again?” Bella demanded, pretending to scold them.

At that, Harrison paused. “I’m not sure. I haven’t read anything about it before. So… possibly?”

Knock, knock, knock-pause-knock, knock.

“You summoned Draco?” Severus stood.

“Harrison wanted a family meeting,” a dreamy voice said at the now open doorway. Luna waltzed in, as if on air, without a care in the world. “So the family was brought here.” With a calm smile, she crossed the room and seated herself on the floor between Harrison’s feet with unrivaled elegance. She rested her cheek on his knee.

“Erm, hello everyone,” Neville said, only a bit nervous. When Luna tugged his sleeve gently, he shrugged and sat down next to her, in front of George.

Draco, on the other hand, looked at his classmates on the floor and scrunched his nose in distaste.

The coffee table doubled in length and width, and was suddenly covered in an extravagant tea service.

Luna reached out and picked up a biscuit with a napkin and handed it to Lucius. “I think he’s forgiven you.”

Eyeing the girl with a stupefied expression, he accepted the biscuit. Upon examining it, his brows lifted. “Are you sure?” Dobby had forgiven him?

Just like that? He made Lucius’ childhood favorite, after fifteen odd years of mistreatment? No, that was not mistreatment. It was clear abuse. Why would he be forgiven so easily? “Why?”

“He was never mad at any of you,” she replied simply, then glanced at Draco. “Well… none of the elder Malfoy family. He knew that you were not in control of yourselves. It was never your fault.”

She giggled as an intricately woven ring of flowers appeared on her head. “Thank you, Sir Dobby. They’re lovely.”

Severus began conjuring seats around the enlarged coffee table as the strange interaction died down. He would never understand that girl.

“Can we just get this over with?” Fred asked tiredly. “I just want to get everything out so we can be re-obliviated.”

George just nodded in agreement.

Harrison clasped their hands tightly in his own as the polite background chatter died down.

Taking a deep breath, George took the lead. “Nothing particularly exciting happened until the day after the Gringotts fiasco. Freddy and I had wanted to keep an eye on things at the house, given Molly, Ron and Ginny’s involvement in… well, everything. It was mostly normal.”

“I think that’s the worst part, honestly.” Fred added. “I mean, these people are criminals, but they were still acting like they always had, you know? So, anyway, we knew that they wouldn’t slip up with us there, so we told them that we were going to fly with the neighbor. We grabbed our kits and brooms and took off. Only, we wrapped around the house and snuck into Molly’s window. It’s a bit off-kilter, so there was a sizable gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. Enough to see through. It-Georgie... could you?”

“They waited a few minutes after we left, and it was like they suddenly just… instantly changed. Ron and Ginny stopped arguing, Molly summoned some elf to clean up and she was brewing a potion.”

“What potion?” Severus asked with narrowed eyes.

“I’m getting to that!” George snapped. “Sorry. Fuck, we wouldn’t even be talking about this if it wasn’t necessary. Right, anyway… Ginny actually sat on Ron’s lap and they were all talking. She asked Molly about contraceptives and fertility potions. Switching them or something, and how she had already told her ‘little friends’ that they couldn’t ‘play’ anymore, just before the holiday break. She said she was fine with being a ‘young mother’. Ron asked Molly how they would convince people that her baby would be Harrison’s. Molly said that it didn’t matter because it would just look like a Weasley.”

“They couldn’t possibly know that,” Draco said, shaking his head. “Unless they’re doing the same black magic ritual that Dumbleduffer used on mum and Harrison. Oh, Merlin. They did it, didn’t they?”

“I don’t understand, though,” Harrison said, rubbing his forehead in agitation and disgust. “Everyone knows I’m gay. Even if I was single, I sure as hell wouldn’t approach her. That’s the entire reason I outed myself so publicly.”

“They decided to say that the translator cuff got it wrong,” Fred said, sighing. “That you’re bisexual, not gay.”

Severus’ brows lifted. That wasn’t entirely unbelievable. He was surprised that they’d thought of it. “I’m almost impressed.”

Fred shook his head solemnly.

“Molly fed Ginny an aphrodisiac,” George continued flatly. “Ron told her to make sure that when she trapped Harrison, to make sure that there was enough room in whatever house she convinced him to buy, for himself and Hermione, but he called her Granger. We realized pretty quickly that Ron and Ginny were… too close for family, if you know what I mean.”

“So, Molly fed them stamina and fertility potions and sent them up to Percy’s old room.” George said slowly.

Since mentioning the level of closeness between the siblings, Sirius had squeezed his eyes shut, breathing deeply. He was quick to nausea lately, and didn’t want to lose his lunch in front of everyone. Being told that their own bloody mother was encouraging and helping them, though, proved too much for his weak stomach.

Remus rubbed Sirius’ back, entirely used to it, due to morning sickness. It hadn’t completely tapered off yet. He waved his wand and vanished the mess.

Draco wasn’t far behind, gagging along with Lucius and Harrison.

“As horrid as that is,” Fred said shakily. Unshed tears clung to his lashes, unwilling to fall. “It’s not the worst of it.”

“How is that possible?” Bella asked warily. “I can think of half a dozen criminal charges off the top of my head from that alone!”

“We couldn’t put all of that in a letter,” George said, angrily swiping his own eyes. “So, we went to the only person we thought could help. We were so sure that he wasn’t a part of any of it.”

Realization struck Harrison like a kick to the stomach. “Oh, gods.” His words were barely a whisper, but everyone heard him.

“Dad confronted Molly the next day-” Fred broke down completely, leaning heavily on Harrison’s shoulder.

Harrison just comforted his husband as best he could.

George, who was gripping his hands together so tightly that his knuckles turned white, was pushed back by Luna who promptly sat in his lap and hummed a quiet tune. Not overly-surprised by the strange girl’s actions, he took a few moments to collect himself. “Molly had him disarmed and bound in seconds. We were listening from the stairs. We heard her floo that fucking bastard, Dumbledore. He came right through and said-” he couldn’t continue.

“Said that dad was… a liability and… caused too many problems… to keep around anymore…” Fred fought against the lump in his throat. “He told Molly to tell people that… that dad was on assignment. He… he conjured a massive snake, saying that it would be blamed on Voldemort. He made it attack…” He stopped as he was wracked with sobs.

“We tried to help, but… but everything went blank…” George shook. “Then dad was gone, but that bastard had just ‘come to inform us of the untimely demise of a great man’. Molly sort of paused for a second, but then she started howling and crying over his death.”

The room was enveloped in silence as every occupant was brought to tears.

Eventually, George broke the silence. “I will kill them for this.”

Notes:

I'm so sorry! This just seemed to be the only place to stop the chapter!
Let me know your thoughts!

Chapter 8

Notes:

I should be getting back to a regular schedule here within the next week or so. Anyway, have a chapter.

(Picks up immediately from chapter 7)

“Just breathe, boys,” Remus said, hoping that it was just talk. “Murder is no joking matter. Even if it is deserved.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Harrison couldn’t contain his amused snort. When everyone gaped at him, he just smirked. “That was a really bad way to skirt around the fact that you have no clue which ‘boy’ you’re talking about.”

Remus rolled his eyes and threw a sugar cube at him.

With the tension broken, there were a few hesitant chuckles.

“Alright,” Harrison said with a sigh. Merlin, he was exhausted. “What are we going to do about this?”

“We have to expose her,” Luna said, still playing with George’s hair. “While making sure that Harrison can’t be implicated in any way.”

“Yes,” Lucius began slowly. “But how?”

“You said she had… what did you call them? Play toys?” Bella asked, preparing tea for herself. “So we expose them. It will prove that she’s not in any kind of marriage or betrothal contract, with Bunny or anyone else because of the fidelity clauses.”

“Yeah, but even so,” Fred said, running his fingers through Harrison’s dark locks. “Who’s going to admit it? You can’t just walk into a heavily populated area and shout ‘Hey, who had sex with the pregnant fourteen year old?’ No one would ever be stupid enough to confess?”

“That,” Severus said with a smirk of his own. “Is proof that you and your brother have not been immersed in the ways of Slytherin, as you should have been.”

“How do you figure?” George prompted.

“Simple,” he said, taking a biscuit. “We lead the public to believe that Miss Weasley admitted that there might be another candidate for the child’s paternity. With everyone now aware that she is a resident in St. Mungo’s, and is meant to be in holding for a trial, it won’t be too difficult. People are sheep. They will believe anything, given the right information.”

“The beetle will be happy to assist,” Luna said, letting go of George’s hair. “She does love scandal.”

“So, after we have Rita write up a story, how do we get them to come forward?” Harrison asked. “It’s like Freddie said, we can’t just ask. Besides, Dumbledore would stop any questions.”

“I can take care of that easily enough.” Lucius said flippantly. Oh, he was going to enjoy this. “After all, who could blame the school board for wanting to get involved, when the results could end in a blood feud?”

An hour or so later, people began to leave.

“Hey, Harrison?”

Turning, Harrison faced Neville. “What’s up?”

“Well,” Neville scratched the back of his neck, shifting from foot to foot. “Luna told me, before we got there… she said that you would explain why she was there, and that I had to hear you out. I trust you and all, but... Gods, I just wanted to curse her into oblivion.”

Her? “Nev, wh-” Harrison’s eyes widened in realization. “Bella. Shit, I forgot. Neville, I swear to you, Bella didn’t- she wasn’t-” he groaned in frustration. “We found irrefutable proof that Bella was under a lot of compulsions. Her ‘Black Madness’ was all fabricated. Like Sirius, she was falsely imprisoned. She wasn’t responsible for the attack on your parents.”

“But… but she… everyone said…”

Harrison pulled his friend into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry that I forgot to tell you. Bella is my godmother, and she’s nothing like what we were all led to believe. She’s bubbly and affectionate.”

They were startled by a high-pitched whine.

There, in the middle of the corridor, was a tiny black puppy, looking up at them with sad eyes.

“How did a dog get into the castle?” Neville wondered aloud, pulling back from the hug.

Harrison smiled and scooped up the pup. “How about an introduction?” He looked up. “Nev, this is Bella. Bella, this is Neville Longbottom. When she’s in this form, I call her Bells.” There were no portraits in this corridor, for which Harrison was glad. Even though he could control their actions, it was easier to avoid.

“You’re…” Neville started, glaring at the puppy.

“This obviously won't be a quick fix, so how about this?” Harrison prompted. “Bells, since you’re stuck in hiding for now, why don’t you pretend to be one of the twins’ familiar? That way, we can still be close, and you two can get to know each other?”

Said twins were a bit further down the corridor, playing some kind of ‘rock, paper, scissors’ while they waited for him.

Bells’ nubby tail wagged and she let out an excited yip.

 

That night, Harrison and the twins were lying in bed. There were no words for what the twins were dealing with, so it was mutually (silently) agreed upon to stay silent.

Harrison did the only thing he could think of to soothe his mates, despite knowing there was no magical cure. He cuddled with them. He felt their guilt, but also that they knew they weren’t actually at fault for their father’s murder. That, at least, was something.

After a few hours of staring at nothing, Harrison sighed. He wanted to take their minds off of everything, hoping they didn’t suffer from nightmares. Whatever it was, it had to be something happy. What could possibly be happy when faced with a parent’s death? For a moment, he felt stupid. The opposite of death was life.

New life.

“So,” he said, voice raspy from prolonged silence. “Would you prefer a boy or a girl?” The question was for both of them, as none knew which twin was the father. To be honest, he didn’t care and he knew that they didn’t either.

Traces of amusement came from both sides of the bond. It hadn’t made the painful truth any less painful, but it was a nice distraction.

“I have no preference,” Fred said simply, snuggling more deeply into his husband’s side.

“We seem to be defying magic and logic all the time, right?” George prompted, a small smile playing at his lips.

Brows furrowed, Harrison nodded. “Yeah?”

“I want nothing more than to break the family curses for the Weasley’s and the Potter’s.” George nodded firmly. “I want a daughter. Aside from the obvious mistake that was ‘Ginervy Weasel’, there hasn’t been a female Weasley born in at least two centuries. It’s been longer for the Potter’s. Let’s shatter that and have one. Or five.”

Harrison and Fred laughed at that.

“Wait,” Harrison said suddenly. “If it’s been that long for the Weasley clan, how the hell was she even born? Things like that aren’t really random. At least, not in the magical world. I remember reading something…”

The twins waited, rather than dive into his thoughts.

He gasped. “She can’t be a Weasley!”

“What?” George asked, while Fred just waited for an explanation.

“Toward the end of… November, I think, I was reading up on some of the old families. It was in one of the books I’d bought over the summer. The infamous Malfoy/Weasley feud. Do you know how it started?”

“It was a few things, if I remember rightly.” Fred propped himself up on his elbow. “Some business deal and a marriage contract. There was something else, but I don’t remember what it was. Why?”

“Story time?” George asked playfully.

Mind whirring, Harrison rubbed his forehead. What the hell was it…? “In 1726, Calliope Malfoy was betrothed to Donaghan Prichard. It was a love match, rather than a contract. Quite scandalous at the time. Anyway, having been long-time business partners, the Weasley’s were hellbent on merging the families through marriage as well. The Weasley patriarch at the time, Septimus Octavian II, was furious that they weren’t considered for the hand of the Malfoy heiress, figuring that it was their right. He decided to try to force the issue, by bringing the matter to the ministry. As I said, a lot of people were scandalized that it was a love match, so many people sided with Septimus. The minister didn’t quite agree, but decided to ‘give them a chance’, while leaving the Malfoy family with an escape route, so to speak. Her ruling decided that the betrothal between Calliope and Donnaghan would stand, since it was custom for betrothals to last at least six months. She ruled that during that time, Calliope would court the only age-appropriate Weasley, Klaus, without the promise of a bonding. The Malfoy’s were pissed, but couldn’t go against the Minister. The way they saw it, the choice would lie with Calliope, and she would do what made her happy. They knew she would choose Donaghan, so they put up with it.”

Harrison paused when a bed tray appeared over their laps.

They sat up and accepted the hot chocolate. Dobby really was a bloody marvel. He really did anticipate their needs before they realized they needed anything. His mouth was terribly dry.

With a deliciously warm belly and a whetted whistle, Harrison continued the story. “The book I found this in actually had documented testimonies from the case. So anyway, Calliope went on her legally mandated dates with Klaus. Apparently, the guy was a complete bastard. After a while, Calliope actually broke off her engagement with Donoghan, but refused to tell him why. That didn’t mean that she accepted Klaus either. From what they say, she declared her refusal to ever marry anyone, and never gave the reason. It was found out that, after her death, she’d been brutalized by Klaus, and was actually no longer eligible for marriage, since she was no longer ‘pure’. Everything that had happened between her and Klaus was written about in her suicide note. His attack brought a creature inheritance forward, since she was sixteen at the time. I’m sure you know that it only happens at seventeen. Well, it cropped up to save her life, as she was bleeding to death, but it was ultimately what killed her too. She mentioned how badly she was struggling with the attack, as her submissive nature made it impossible to accept her fated mate, due to her so-called impurity. Within two months, she fell into a horrible depression and went practically catatonic.”

“That’s…” Fred let his weak comment fall away.

“So, what happened?” George asked, disgusted but curious.

“Well,” Harrison finished his hot chocolate and placed the empty cup on the floating tray. “Septimus decided that the Malfoy’s reneged on the Minister’s ruling, so they started embezzling money from their joint businesses and filed a lawsuit against her family. Since Calliope was unable to defend herself, they couldn’t stop the suit and lost most of their money. When she died, and her family went through her belongings, they found her journals. They turned the journals over to the ministry and re-opened the case. In the end, the Weasley family lost everything, and it all went to the Malfoy’s. From there, the Malfoy’s cursed the Weasey’s so that they would never have daughters. The curse was legally done, with the Minister’s permission. It wasn’t a punishment, but a way for them to protect any future generations of female Weasley’s that would be destroyed by the Weasley’s greed. That was actually what made the Weasley family as blood traitors. It has nothing to do with muggles or anything, but the fact that Klaus Weasley spit in the face of Lady Magic by attacking Calliope Malfoy.”

“Merlin,” George said, rubbing his hands over his face. “I guess there’s bad apples in every family tree.”

“Yup,” Harrison said, popping the ‘p’. “Alright, we’re going to have to get some sleep. We will definitely want to be well rested for tomorrow. Lunch is sure to be entertaining.”

Between Luna and Lucius, they had enough ‘teasers’ as they called it, to entice Rita. It would make headlines, which was exactly what they needed.

Notes:

This entire chapter (yes, I know it's short) was completed in under 6 hours, so it's FAR from perfect. Either way, let me know your thoughts.
I NEED VOLUNTEERS TO GHOST WRITE RITA'S ARTICLES! I SUCK AT THEM, BUT I NEED THEM! If you'd like to do this, just leave a comment and we can exchange emails on the subject. Thanks in advance!😁😁😁

Chapter 9

Notes:

I meant to post yesterday, but I was out of town and I had no internet. My bad! Hope you enjoy!

As expected, Rita’s headlines, declaring that Ginervy Weasel let slip that ‘Harry’ might not be her baby’s father, had everyone going mental. It was slightly less than subtle in regards to the ‘emotional distress’ that it surely caused Harrison, before revealing that she’d received a statement from ‘the Great Harry Potter himself’, telling her explicitly that he was a homosexual, and not in a contract with anyone. (That, at least, was true, as he and the twins were never actually betrothed, just bonded)

With Harrison and his family watching people’s reactions to the news, they were able to spot more than a dozen terrified or guilty faces throughout the crowd.

Honestly, they were expecting three or four, not a dozen! This was going to make lunch so much more exciting!

Harrison and the twins could feel each other’s excitement, therefore fueling their own, causing all three to be antsy all throughout their morning classes.

It was a few minutes into the dueling club that Harrison stopped bouncing his leg. Finally, it was time to do something physical!

As the student teacher, Harrison was walking through the various groups. When he stumbled upon an unassigned group working together, he cast a silent disillusionment charm on himself to listen. Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Ernie MacMillian and Justin Finch-Fletchey were casting the spells that they were meant to be working on, but spent more time having a heated conversation than actually paying attention.

“-no way it could be any of us,” Ernie was saying. “We all used the contraceptive spells.”

Goyle just snorted. “Those aren’t one hundred percent guaranteed, but my method was. Have fun being tested.”

“What do you mean they’re not effective?” Justin asked, eyes wide with fear. “And what did you do?”

“He means,” Vincent said, keeping his tone lower than the panicking Puff. “That we made sure to only stick it in her mouth and arse. Salazar’s pants, Justin, you were there. You should have noticed.”

Justin’s jaw clenched a few times. “Forgive me for getting caught up in the moment,” he sneered. “And I am no shirt lifter! Why the hell would I put it in her arse?!”

As he spoke, his voice rose, causing the other three to nudge, hiss, or elbow him sharply in the ribs.

“Because,” Vincent said slowly, as if speaking to a child. “You’re gonna have to get tested, and we aren’t. That’s why. I’m sure you and the She-Weasel are going to look fantastic in your bonding robes.”

“Shut up!” Justin snarled. “Her bastard will never carry my name!”

“Just think,” Greg said with a sneer. “If it is yours, and you refuse it, you’ll lose your name too!”

“My parents would never do that!” He denied vehemently.

“Leslie Noname, nee Rowley, thought the same thing.” Gregory rolled his eyes at the Puff’s naiveté. “Until he knocked up a muggle. Mr. Noname now works as a shelf stocker at Borgin and Burkes, and the child was taken and raised by the muggle’s parents.”

Harrison was losing patience, so he removed the charm. “Why are none of you working on the shields we’ve taught you?”

“Wanna test mine?” Vince asked, grinning mischievously.

“Come on down,” he replied easily, beckoning his fellow Slytherin toward the front of the room. He faced the crowd. “All right, everyone! Take five! Mr. Crabbe would like to demonstrate.”

(A/N: Bastardized Latin below.)

“Fortiscutumae!” Vince called out, as a large purple shield erupted from his wand.

“It looks good,” Harrison said honestly. Casting was not an issue for Vince. Maintaining it, however, certainly was. “Stupefy! Rictusempra! Mollitossate! Obstructio!”

On the last spell, as he anticipated, the shield faltered.

Vince lowered his wand, coughing thickly. He hacked for a few more minutes, until Harrison took pity on him and removed the spell.

“Okay!” He called out. “Back to it! I want everyone’s shields to be able to withstand a minimum of six consecutive spells before we’re done here!”

There was plenty of grumbling at that statement, but in the end, there were only three (out of forty-seven) who couldn’t manage all six spells. Alyssia Bennet of Hufflepuff made it to five and began tap dancing, Trevon Johanssen of Ravenclaw made it to four and grew perfect ringlets from his nose hair, and Vincent made it up to five and wound up with a Freddy Kreuger mask on. He set up an additional practice session with each of them, immediately after dismissing everyone. After all, there was no point in embarrassing them in front of everyone. Especially since they were actually trying. If they’d been goofing off, he wouldn’t have hesitated to loudly chastise them in the middle of the lesson.

Harrison was so wrapped up in the lesson, that he was honestly startled when the Great Hall began to right itself for lunch. Casting a freshening charm on himself, Harrison left the Hall to wait for his husbands.

 

Within ten minutes, the Great Hall was packed.

Fred grinned widely, his goblet pausing halfway to his mouth. “They’re here,” he said, in a sing-song way. He moved his hands in the same piano-playing way, and reclaimed his goblet. “Seventeen of them in total. I think some of them are from WFS.”

Harrison wracked his brain, but nothing came up. “What’s WFS?”

“Wizard Family Services,” Fred said calmly, then his eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh, Madam Bones is leading them.”

At that, Harrison smiled. He knew that this would be taken seriously when he’d submitted the ‘anonymous’ tip to her office.

“Showtime,” Harrison said through the bond, as the large group entered the Hall.

“Harry Potter,” Madam Bones called out.

Harrison stood and crossed the Hall to the main doors. He gave a quick, but respectful, nod. “Yes, Madam Bones?” He asked pleasantly.

“Due to the nature of our investigation, your magical signature will be tested against the unborn child, carried by Miss Weasley, to identify paternity.” She said, making sure she had everyone’s attention. “If you refuse, you will be remanded to the ministry until you agree to comply. Do you consent to the testing?”

“Of course,” he replied immediately, much to the shock of the majority of the student population. “I would like this to be cleared up as well. What do you need me to do?”

An old witch, maybe in her late eighties, unrolled a mostly blank scroll. There was a single line of strange markings at the top, but Harrison had no idea what it was. “Push a small amount of magic into the page, just under the first line.”

Harrison reached out, but paused halfway. Plenty of people started whispering the second he stopped. “My familiar is in my pocket. Will that disrupt the test?” It was an honest question. Having another magical signature so close to his person could interact with a multitude of tests, but not all of them.

“It will,” the old witch said, her voice gravelly and rough. “Hand it off to someone.”

“No!” Xia hissed angrily. “I am warm! I will not move from the heated pouch!”

Harrison sighed, rolling his eyes, and plucked her out anyway. “Sorry, she’s as stubborn as a mule.” He told the humans, many of whom had stepped back upon seeing the snake.

George was by his side in an instant. “Come with me, you naughty noodle.”

“This is undignified! I demand to be put back in the pouch!”

George burst out laughing and Harrison chuckled.

“He has heated pouches too!” Harrison said, wiggling his hand to make her let go, as she was tightly wrapped around his wrist.

Xia’s head drooped, but she slithered to George’s outstretched hand.

They watched as Xia bumped her snout into George’s nose. “Bigger diva than Malfoy,” he said with a snort.

“Hey!” Draco shouted from the Slytherin table. “I am not a diva!”

Nearly everyone laughed at that.

“Alright, sorry,” Harrison said sheepishly. “She really is a bit full of herself. Shall we?”

The old witch held out the parchment.

He touched the tip of his wand to the parchment, just under the line of markings. A second line emerged as he gently pushed his magic into it. Despite not knowing what the markings meant, he knew that they looked nothing alike.

“Not even close,” she said. “Make the announcement, Amelia.”

“Mr. Potter,” Amelia said in a clear and commanding tone. “I thank you for your cooperation, but you may retake your seat. Maybe offer your familiar a treat for being disrupted.”

Harrison smirked. “Of course, Madam Bones. I’m happy to help.”

Back in his seat, Harrison offered Xia what looked like a freshly killed rat, that appeared on a small tray on the floor.

The entire Hall watched the ministry group in anticipation, as they had not moved after clearing Harrison.

Amelia cast a light truth spell along the four house tables, skipping the staff table entirely.

Dumbleduffer was absent. Again.

Professor McGonagall stood. “Madam Bones,” she began calmly. “While I appreciate the seriousness of the situation, surely there are better ways than casting truth spells on students!”

“Unfortunately, Deputy Headmistress, Miss Weasley has listed several possible candidates for the paternity case, while omitting several more, due to admitted forgetfulness.” Amelia adjusted her monocle wearily. “Unless we were to sequester every male in the school for the test, this is the quickest way.”

Paling, Professor McGonagall nodded and took her seat.

Amelia cast another spell over the students. It was a light compulsion, and perfectly legal to use with ministry consent. “Anyone here who has had sexual relations with Ginevra Weasley between November and December, please come have your magical signature tested.”

Nearly every single Gryffindor male from fourth year and up, stood as one. Three Slytherins also stood, though some were clearly trying to fight the compulsion. Six upper year Ravenclaws and seven Hufflepuffs also stood.

Jaws dropped all over the Hall.

Harrison was astonished as he counted the thirty-seven young men who formed a group up near the ministry congregation.

Looking around, a third year Hufflepuff started crying into the robes of Greg, who was right behind him. Greg rubbed his shoulder in a surprisingly kind way.

Well, surprising to anyone outside of Slytherin. Greg was very kind… to those he liked. He wasn’t half as dumb as he portrayed.

Every single person in line was upset, whether from fear, anger or confusion, it was impossible to tell.

“Holy shit,” Madam Bones said, eyes wide. Her monocle fell out, landing on her chest. Seeming to realize what she’d just said, she cleared her throat. “My apologies. Anyone willing to submit to the test first, please make your way to the front.”

The Ravenclaws and Slytherins hurried to the front. They were purebloods who knew the implications of children before marriage, and had all taken precautions to prevent pregnancy.

The third year was still clinging to Greg, despite his blatant fear, was going to be tested soon.

“I’ll go first,” Greg said firmly. He wasn’t afraid of the test. “Sam, you have to let go for a minute.”

The third year, Sam, bit his lip, but eventually let go.

The test was negative. So was Sam’s, who went next. Poor Sam was so relieved that he slumped into Greg’s side, and decided to follow him back to the Slytherin table.

In less than an hour, all thirty-seven tests came back negative.

Harrison and the twins had watched coins change hands at every table, including a very subtle exchange between the defense professor and Severus. Yoseferia, the useless cow, handed Severus a handful of coins.

Slytherins, Harrison thought. Betting on something, when they already knew the outcome. He pulled Xia out of his pocket. “Go tell grandmummy that he’s being naughty, taking money from morons.”

Xia let out a hissy laugh and slithered toward the staff table.

Harrison watched in amusement as his mum snorted into his glass.

Chapter 10

A/N: Ruby_slipper_of_iowa, this first scene was (hopefully) what you asked for.
:::Warning to everyone::: I’m not usually the best with mushy stuff (because, to me, they're more unbelievable than Voldie himself). Let me know your thoughts on this long overdue conversation.

Eventually, Harrison realized that he had to deal with his issues with his mum. He was not looking forward to it, but it had to be done if they expected to have any semblance of a relationship in the future.

He waited until the day after the ‘Ginny’s a slag’ debacle in the Great Hall. To be perfectly honest, he’d only waited that long because he needed to gather up the courage to have any type of confrontation with the stern man.

About an hour after curfew, Harrison spoke with the portraits in his room. There were two reasons for this. First, he needed to speak with some of the more trustworthy inhabitants, to know which paintings to avoid. The second reason was to discern which routes were clear. Sure, he could have used the Map, but there was a strong part of him that he couldn’t quite describe, that was urging him to communicate with the castle. There was just something about the place that called to him in a way that made little sense. He wasn’t going to argue the point, as the castle was literally his birthright, and that brought him a never ending supply of peace and humility. Centuries and centuries had gone by, and never before had a single person been heir to all four founders.

The coast wasn’t completely clear until just before midnight. Filch was being harassed by Peeves on the sixth floor. The prefects were doing their rounds, except for two of them, who were apparently engaging in some ‘less than school appropriate’ activities. That, at least, was what Gordie Omife said. Having been painted about six hundred years prior, it could have been as simple as snogging.

Harrison walked slowly toward his mum’s office, hoping that he wouldn’t chicken out. A few times, just to delay the inevitable, he chatted with a couple suits of armor.

All too soon, however, he was standing in front of the heavy wooden door. He stood there for several minutes, almost positive that it was mocking him. It was a good thing he was in Slytherin now, as he could not gather up his Gryffindor courage.

Before he could turn around and make a run for it, he forced his hand up to rap on the wood. His fists clenched, down by his sides as he waited.

He already knew the man was awake.

Growing anxious, Harrison bit his lip and began to count the seconds. To his utter astonishment, the hour he stood waiting, had only been about eight seconds in reality.

The door jerked open. “What the devil do-” Severus blinked in surprise. “Oh, Harrison. Are you alright? Why aren’t you in bed?”

Still fighting the urge to flee, he gestured to the sitting room unsurely. “Um, can we…?”

Brows knit, he nodded. “Yes, of course. Have a seat. Tea?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, yes please.” No sooner did the words leave his lips, did a fully stocked tea tray appear. “Thank you, Dobby.”

“Indeed,” Severus said levelly, taking his usual seat.

For a minute or two, they busied themselves with preparing their drinks. Twisting his fingers, Harrison took a deep breath. “I think it’s time we talked about this. Our relationship, I mean. I know I’m messing up, but I know that you are too. I am doing everything I can to undo fifteen years of conditioning, a large part of which being that I was blamed for anything and everything that went wrong. So, I will only accept partial blame for our problems, and I hope that you will do the same.”

Deep in thought, Severus leaned back in his chair. “I agree with your assessment, and willingly accept half of the blame. What do you believe is the next logical step?”

Harrison took a cautious sip of his tea. “Well, if you’re amenable, I think we can each point out what areas we’re lacking in, and try to figure out solutions.”

“That is a mature and reasonable course of action.” He crossed his legs, a contemplative look on his face. “Are you to begin, or shall I?”

“I suppose I should start,” Harrison mumbled. “Since this was my idea and all. It only makes sense… Right, okay… so, I think, given our… volatile history, I’m a bit… quick to anger when we talk.”

“Ah,” Severus said, placing his teacup back on the tray. “I had assumed you meant for us to point out the faults we have found with one another. I am glad that I was mistaken.”

“You thought I wanted to come here to just insult you?” He asked, horrified at the very thought.

“For a moment, yes, that did cross my mind.”

Hurt, Harrison nodded. “Well, at least you were honest.”

“I apologize for the assumption,” Severus said softly. “Please continue.”

Surprised at Severus’ change in tone, he cleared his throat. “I need to work on thinking things through, before I snap at you.”

“Or run off,” Severus added.

Harrison clenched his jaw. “That too,” he said tightly.

“That means it is my turn, correct?”

“Yeah,”

“Very well,” Severus said, sounding reluctant. “I seem to find myself falling back on old habits, regarding yourself. It has come to my attention that I occasionally disrespect you, despite the fact that you are my son.”

Occasionally?! Harrison’s teeth were grinding now, though he did his best to keep all emotion hidden.

“To hopefully rectify the situation, I believe that I will also do my best to remember to think before I speak.”

“Okay,” he replied, still fuming. “It’s never been a problem for me to admit my faults, so I just want it all dealt with as quickly as possible. I don’t mind the occasional barbs when we talk, so long as they’re not deliberately hurtful. Honestly, I quite enjoy your acerbic wit on occasion. What I need to do though, is better learn when you’re joking, versus actually insulting me. I can’t always tell the difference, which makes it kind of difficult to want to talk to you when something is bothering me. I take insults too seriously. I’m quick to anger, more than any other emotion. I constantly feel inadequate, and I make it worse by thinking up every stupid thing I’ve ever done, even if it’s just as simple as dropping a conversation because I’m too busy thinking of all the stupid things I’ve done. Every time I talk to adults who have made any kind of impact on my life, in any way, I feel like I’m failing them. Every time I talk to you, I feel like a mentally impaired child, so I try to keep our interactions away from being too in-depth, which I already know is wrong. So, I’m sorry for that, because it isn’t fair to you. I’m-”

“Harrison, stop!” Severus said abruptly, cutting him off. He put his hand up to keep his son from continuing. “Just give me a moment, please.”

Toeing off his trainers, Harrison pulled his feet up onto the settee and wrapped his arms around them.

They sat in silence for who knows how long, until Severus eventually stood. He made his way over to his son and, in an uncharacteristic move, he flopped down and hugged his son, knees and all. “I believe that in my desire to be a real parent, I seem to have forgotten that you are not a child. Aside from the debilitating alcoholism, I have, it seems, turned into my father. Horrid demeanor, a complete lack of patience and my unfortunately cutting tongue.” He sighed. “You and your brother deserve so much more than that. In truth, Draco has grown so accustomed to my mannerisms throughout his short life, I doubt he even realizes what a disservice I have done to either of you. I cannot fathom which of you I hurt more. Was it him for being raised with me, or you, for not being raised with me?”

“I don't want to hold your past against you, and if-”

Up went his hand once more. “Thank you for that. However misguided your reasoning may be, I appreciate it all the same. Harrison, I didn’t think it was possible to love someone as much as I love you and your brother. Even my love for your father cannot compare. Where I see locked doors in my life, I need only look at either of you, for the locks to fall away. My life, while never easy, has never come so close to perfect happiness. I owe that to you. You are so truly incredible, and I thank the Gods every single day, for you bringing us all back together.”

Harrison squeezed his eyes shut when tears threatened to fall.

“It is my dearest hope that you will someday realize that you are not now, nor will you ever be, inadequate. I cannot think of any way to make up for the fact that you cannot speak freely with me. The only thing I can do is try. Try to listen, try to understand, and try to be more patient. If you find me slipping into old habits, I implore you to either knock some sense into me yourself, or tell your father, and he will take care of it on your behalf. I pray that I never make you feel that way again.”

Giving up on a lost cause, Harrison sobbed into his mother’s dressing gown. “I-I-” he hiccoughed, “I love-you t-too. I’m s-so sorry f-for-”

“You are sorry for nothing,” Severus said firmly, a silent tear slipping down his pale cheek. “Any misbehaviour was a result of my own ignorance. I know exactly how we will begin to repair our tumultuous relationship.”

“H-how?” Harrison asked, slowly regaining control over his erratic breathing.

“Due to the goings on in the school, and the Headmaster’s continuing absences, Minerva has decided to use this weekend to catch up on that old dingbat’s workload. Therefore, she is going to announce an unscheduled Hogsmeade weekend. As tomorrow is Saturday, you and I will spend the day together. Lunch, a film, even a shopping trip to the mall if you so wish. On Sunday, I will do the same for your brother.”

Harrison put his feet back on the floor and hugged his mum tightly. “Thank you.”

 

On Saturday morning, Harrison was excitedly rummaging through his wardrobe. Thankfully, he wasn’t showing yet, so there was no need to glamour himself. He did, however, plan to use his metamorphmagus abilities as soon as he left the castle grounds. He certainly didn’t need any of Dumbles’ stupid Order spies to see him willingly going anywhere with ‘Snape’. Instead, Harrison would make himself look like a nondescript wizard around his mum’s age.

The twins smirked at each other as they watched him tossing clothes on the floor of the massive walk-in closet.

“Hey, Harrison?”

Harrison stopped, with probably the thirtieth rejected shirt in his hand, and faced Fred. “Yeah?”

Fred slipped into the closet and plucked a pair of shredded black jeans and a lightweight long sleeved t-shirt that had a picture of a smiling American muggle scientist called Bill Nye. “You’re not having a date with one of the Weird Sisters. Don’t worry.”

“Unless you have something to tell us…?” George prompted with an amused grin.

“Oh, yeah,” Harrison said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “The bassist chatted me up after the Yule Ball last year, and we’ve been contemplating eloping. It’ll be the biggest ceremony in British history. We’re inviting everyone from Filch to the Czar.”

“First it’s Dobby, now he’s running off with… oi, Gred, what’s the name of the bassist?”

“Haven’t the foggiest, brother dear!” He called out from the ensuite. “Shite!” He yelped.

Harrison ran to the bathroom to find his husband’s face covered in shaving cream and a straight razor. There was a small cut on his cheek, maybe two centimeters long. “Why are you shaving like a muggle?” He asked, casting a quick charm.

“Seemed dignified,” was all he offered in response.

“So you thought you’d give it a go?” Harrison asked, his brow raised. Snorting at his ridiculous husband, he grabbed a hand towel and began wiping away the shaving cream. “You,” he said, kissing the tip of the red head’s nose. “Are completely barking.” Maybe when he went out with his mum, he’d pick up an instruction guide to shaving with a straight razor.

 

“Are you ready to go?” Severus asked his youngest son.

“Yep,” Harrison replied. “I sent a letter to Griphook to take out some money and exchange it for muggle pounds. It came in the post this morning.”

“We can apparate to Diagon and use the Leaky Cauldron’s exit to the mugg-'' Severus stopped, hissing in pain.

“Mum, what’s wrong?” But even as the words left his mouth, he could see a dark pulse of magic emanating from the older man’s left arm.

“I believe that my Lord has finally woken,” he said through tightly gritted teeth.

Chapter 11

Notes:

I know, I know, I'm a terrible person for making everyone wait for this chapter. It was NOT cooperating at all. My characters apparently didn't like anything about this chapter, and were being major dicks about it.

RECAP

“Mum, what’s wrong?” But even as the words left his mouth, he could see a dark pulse of magic emanating from the older man’s left arm.
“I believe that my Lord has finally woken,” he said through tightly gritted teeth.

CHAPTER 11

Harrison let out a silent huff, and decided now was not the time to be upset over his ruined plans. (He would still do that later, however.) But now was the time for business, not emotion. He sent a quick update to the twins through the bond and was immediately bombarded with a rush of varying emotions.

Placing a hand on the wall, he breathed slowly through his nose. “The twins are coming along.” For a moment, he was worried that he might lose the battle against his need to be ill. “They’re already on their way.”

“Are you alright?” Severus asked, concern lacing his silken tone.

All Harrison could do was hold up his index finger, wordlessly asking for a moment, while his other hand rested on his stomach. He was still leaning on the wall by the time the twins joined them, and were by his side in an instant, also asking after his well-being.

Thankfully his mum, the ever-prepared potion’s master, held out a clear phial that Harrison recognized as a stomach soother.

“I’ve been brewing them for Siri,” Severus said, popping off the cork stopper. “Though he hasn’t been needing them as much lately.”

The phial was halfway to his mouth when Harrison lost the battle, sicking up on the flagstones.

George quickly turned his head to avoid the smell and vanished the mess after each retching sound.

Fred, on the other hand, wasn’t fazed at all, and immediately began rubbing his husband’s back.

After heaving what Harrison thought had to be every single thing he’d ever eaten or considered eating in his entire life, he took a few shaky breaths and leaned against Fred’s taller frame weakly.

“As we are already going to visit Gringotts healing chambers,” Severus said, handing his son the phial once more. “I suggest we have a healer examine you. I meant to suggest it shortly after we discovered the situation-”

“It’s fine,” Harrison said, knowing that he had only said ‘situation’ as they were still in the school and could be overheard at any time. “We’ve all had things going on.”

“Let’s go see the scary goblins!” George said happily, as they followed Severus to the main doors.

 

Rather than just flashing into the infirmary as he’d done during Yule break, Harrison brought them to the main lobby, near the floo’s.

“Hey, Fangor,” he said pleasantly, propping his elbows on the counter. While he didn’t want to change back to his normal appearance in front of the other patrons, he knew that Fangor would recognize him.

Between him actually knowing the name of the goblin he was speaking to and his casual (but not fearful or disdainful) attitude, there was no doubt that he was the ‘Little Lord’. “Griphook and Thortac are waiting for you all in the infirmary. Will your father be joining y-”

The floo flared to life as the front door opened. Lucius stepped out of the fireplace and Sirius and Remus walked in through the main entrance.

Harrison waved and nodded toward the long corridor, away from the lobby.

For a moment, Sirius looked confused, but Remus and Lucius immediately recognized Harrison’s scent.

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Harrison led the group toward the infirmary ward.

 

Lucius, Severus and Bellatrix were the most hesitant to see their ‘lord’, and were clearly worried about what the man truly was like. They had told Harrison, and the twins by extension, how Tom (as he used to be called) was a ruthless defender of creature rights and a traditionalist, insofar as embracing the Old Ways and cracking down on things that could expose them to the modern world. He had been a political genius and a philanthropist, using his family vaults for the betterment of the wizarding world.

It had been around the last six years or so, before Harrison had vanquished him as an infant, that he had begun to change. It was a subtle change at first, raids to find abused or abandoned children became raids to kidnap muggleborns and eventually, they began to murder the families too. They used to have their ranks trained in defensive battle tactics, until they slowly switched to strictly offensive and began attacking first, whether there was a threat or not. Political handlings went from civil (if somewhat heated) debates that were carried out with tact, to threatening the lives of people’s families and livelihood when palm greasing didn’t work. Eventually, even the bribes stopped being used, as he began to hoard the Slytherin wealth. Charitable contributions to various support programs had turned into burning down clinics for those who couldn’t afford the bills from St. Mungo’s.

Tom Riddle was content to control change with wealth and charisma. Voldemort wasn’t happy unless he murdered someone once a week. Tom was a politically savvy defender to the defenseless. Voldemort was a psychotic coward with a Little Man complex. Tom collected people into a family. Voldemort threatened people into joining a veritable army of bloodthirsty maniacs.

Harrison could easily understand their hesitance.

When they pushed open the doors, they were not met by either man. The only human in the room was sitting in the corner of the room, clear evidence of tear tracks on his face and was staring blankly at the wall. The man didn’t even react to their entry.

Fred stuck his hand in his wriggling pocket and pulled out Bells. When he put her down, she remained in her animagus form and slowly inched her way toward the man, keeping low to the ground.

The man finally took notice of Bells when she nudged his leg with her fuzzy paw. He looked at her expressionlessly for a while, then when she stood on her back legs with her front paws on his shin, he picked her up.

“You look familiar,” he said hollowly. “Do I know you?”

Bells yipped, wagging her tail.

“Hello,” Harrison said, not knowing what name to call the man.

The man in question finally looked up and they were shocked to see a man (who was unmistakably Tom Riddle) but he looked to be about forty years old. There were no wrinkles or greying hair, but the man did have hair and a nose, which was already a much better sight than at his rebirthing ritual.

“Who are you?” The man asked calmly, barely a hint of tears in his tone. “Do I know you as well?”

“You do,” Harrison said simply, turning a few of the infirmary beds into comfortable loveseats. “Come have a seat, and we’ll have a chat.”

Tom’s gaze trailed over the group, recognition flashing at several of the faces. He stood, still holding Bells to his chest and nodded.

Harrison was impressed by the grace of the other man, who had clearly been a sobbing mess just moments ago. “Before we begin, I believe introductions are in order.”

 

Three hours later, they sat in silence as Tom processed everything. To be fair, it was a lot of information in a short amount of time, so no one was upset that the man needed a few minutes to collect himself.

Flashing quickly outside the wards, Harrison asked Dobby for a tea service as well as lunch. He might be able to cook, but he didn’t have that kind of time.

As soon as everything appeared, Harrison thanked the elf and reappeared in the infirmary.

“George,” Harrison said in exasperation. “Put it away. That is not an icebreaker.” He rolled his eyes.

Fred snagged the trick sweets out of George’s hand and stuffed them into his own pocket.

Tom was confused, looking around at his old friends for some kind of explanation.

Before anyone else could answer, as Sev, Remus and Sirius all knew what the twins were like, Harrison set up lunch. “They’re pranksters. Word to the wise, never accept any kind of food or drink from either of them.”

Tom’s brows rose in amusement. “I was also, for a few years. I remember, in my… second year, I believe, how Abraxas (Lucius’ father of course) was flirting relentlessly with someone who wanted nothing to do with him. She’d told him to leave, but he kept at it, so I changed his robes into violet negligee. Right in the middle of the library.”

The twins and the marauders all burst out laughing, while Narcissa politely covered her light laugh with a napkin. Severus snorted and Lucius just gaped.

“I bet he never got a date with that poor girl,” Severus said, smirking. “I wonder who it was.”

“Adorable Scottish thing,” Tom said, trying to remember her name. “Everyone called her Minnie. MacDougal? No, that’s not right… I can’t recall.”

“Not McGonagall?!” George asked, shocked.

“That’s it!” Tom said triumphantly. “Minnie McGonagall. Wait, do you know her?”

The entire group burst out laughing.

“Current Deputy Headmistress, transfiguration professor and Head of Gryffindor House, Minerva McGonagall?” Harrison said with a wry grin. “Nah, never heard of her.”

Tom nodded approvingly. “I wonder when and why the rules were changed though…”

“What rules?” Harrison asked, glad to gain any information on his school.

“Well, for one, having so many positions. Professors weren’t allowed to hold any other positions, as they are quite busy with that alone. Another thing is that in my time, Heads of House had to be an alumnus of the House they Head. Minnie was a Ravenclaw.”

“WHAT?!” Many of the group members shouted at once.

“If ever there was a Gryffindor supporter, it’s Professor Minerva McGonagall.” Harrison rolled his eyes, knowing that she was an ardent fan of red and gold. Could you possibly be remembering it wrongly?”

Finally recovered from the outburst, Tom shook his head. “No, she was a Ravenclaw. One day, with Abraxas trailing after her again, she screamed at him. It was something to the effect of ‘If you touch me again, I’ll pitch you off your broom because everyone knows that snakes don’t fly like eagles’.”

There were a few chuckles, but Severus was the only one to speak. “Minerva’s previous house notwithstanding, I’m more concerned with the fact that professors weren’t allowed to be Heads of House. Are you quite sure?”

“Of course,” Tom said nonchalantly. “Professor Beauchamp, who was the charms professor at the time, had a row with Dumbledore over it. For some reason, even though he was just a professor himself, Dumbledore liked to try to run things under Headmaster Dippet’s nose. Dumbledore was trying to convince Professor Beauchamp that they all have to take on the nightly patrols, which is ridiculous. Why in Merlin’s name would you have professors stay up all night when they already have so much work to do? They already have to teach fourteen classes a week, grade homework, write up, then grade, tests and lesson plans. Even with the assistants, it’s a lot of work.”

“You’re not serious?!” Severus blurted out as Remus, Harrison and Lucius all reached out to cover Sirius’ mouth before he could make jokes.

“What do you mean, Sev?” Tom asked, confused.

“I teach twenty-eight classes a week, without an assistant, oversee detentions, Head Slytherin, brew all of the supplies for the infirmary, and have three patrol nights a week!” Severus snapped, furious.

Tom’s eyes widened. “Well, the extra money should certainly come in handy…?” He offered hesitantly.

“It would, if we didn’t all make the same.” Severus sighed. “All of the Heads are Professors as well. You already know about Minerva and myself, but Filius Flitwick is the Ravenclaw Head, as well as being the charms professor. Pomona Sprout teaches Herbology and Heads Hufflepuff. Aside from the infirmary’s stocks, we all have the same jobs, and we make the same wages as the astronomy professor, who only has one class per night.”

Oh, great. Ten more things I have to fix. Harrison sighed.

“We’ll help you, love,” the twins said through the bond.

He gripped their hands, unnoticed by the others, thankful for their help. Not for the first time, Harrison was glad that they were designed for each other by Magic.

“Alright,” Harrison said, when the ranting wore down. “Now for the less than pleasant subjects. Tom, I have to ask you to do something that you probably won’t want to do.”

Brow knit, Tom focused on him. “Go on,”

“Well, for starters, I was hoping you would consent to having a friend of mine look over your medical history. As it includes potions and spells cast on your person, we can have you, if not cleared fully, at least pardoned for nearly everything that ‘Voldemort’ has done. In doing so, she’ll also need your memories, and you will be subjected to veritaserum.”

Tears fell unabashedly down his sculpted face. “I hate knowing what I’ve done. I’m honestly terrified of going back to sleep, because I know that… that I’m going to keep seeing all those people… I’ve hurt so many people… Killed so many people. I’ve been destroying everything I’ve sworn to protect.”

“You need to see a mind healer,” Harrison said abruptly and held his hand up when Tom opened his mouth. “It’s non-negotiable. You will be driven mad if you don’t, and all of the things we’ve set in motion will be for naught. I can’t let that happen. What I can do, after all is said and done, is permanently remove all of your memories regarding your time as the megalomaniac we all love to hate. You’d be free.”

Silence stretched on, as everyone stared at Tom, waiting for his answer.

Eventually, Tom spoke. “Thank you.”

Notes:

This is not how I wanted it to turn out, so feel free to leave comments about how I might fix it, because I'm about 80% sure it's crap...
Things to help me decide in the comments:
1) What are we doing with Voldy?
2) What questions might he be able to answer?
3) How should Amelia react to the 'new' Voldy?
4) Are there any romantic pairings you would like me to add?
5) What would you like to see happen at some point in the story?

Chapter 12

Notes:

Yeah... I feel like I keep apologizing... Well, I'm not doing that anymore. I work too much, but my schedule changed, so I SHOULD be able to get back to weekly postings.

Harrison, Fred and George fell into bed, exhausted that night, each replaying different parts of their conversations in their heads.

George went over the information on Professor McGonagall in confusion. How is it that no one knew about her prior house? Better still, why hadn't she changed much since their bonding? She'd been clearly distraught and confused according to Severus, so why did she all but revert to her previous ways? Just a few days ago, George heard Marcus Flint complaining about her bigotry making an appearance just yesterday morning. It just didn't make sense.

Fred, on the other hand, was thinking about the changes Dumbles had come up with regarding the professors' duties. What Tom had said about the way things were in his school days… it was all so logical, so why in Merlin’s name would those practises be removed? It was hurting everyone. The professors were severely overworked, overwhelmed and underpaid. The students were being taught by exhausted and often irritated people. It hurt everyone involved. Why do it in the first place? Overstressing professors and giving students less than ideal learning environments? What was the point?

Harrison wriggled around until Fred was flush against his back and his head resting on George’s chest. He smiled lightly as his husbands shifted to accommodate his change in position. Fred wrapped an arm around his waist and George interlocked their legs and ran his fingers through Harrison’s dark locks.

His thoughts drifted more toward Tom than anything else. The man was (understandably) a wreck. After all, who wouldn't be, considering that the majority of his waking hours were being controlled by a raging sociopath for an undetermined number of decades? And for what? Power? The old bastard had that in spades. Money? Maybe, but there were easier ways to acquire wealth. So, what was the point?

 

Two days later, Harrison, Fred and George walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, and were met by shocked silence.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, what is it this time?” Harrison demanded loudly, knowing full well how voices carried in the massive room.

Several of the students closest to the door, and the trio, startled at the outburst.

As Harrison scanned the crowd, his eyes landed on Neville.

Neville’s shoulders slumped in an obvious sigh. He held up the newest edition of the Daily Prophet.

Without a second thought, George nabbed a copy of the rag from a Ravenclaw first year who’d been sitting at the end of the table, on their way to the Slytherin table.

“Will you all just go back to your food?!” Harrison snapped, slamming his palm flat on the worn out table top.

“Mr. Potter,” Dumbledick said warningly, as he himself entered the room and made his way to the ostentatious throne he frequented. “Take your seat, please.”

Many students who had been watching them, began to murmur as everyone was seated.

Fred bit back a grin and turned his attention toward his husband, feeling a wave of confusion coming from the bond. “What is it?”

In response, Harrison dropped the paper in front of the redhead with an incredulous look on his face.

Me, Myself and I… Apologise
Rita Skeeter
In a shocking turn of events, my lovelies, I have made an error. Recently, I published a most deliciously scandalous story pertaining to our own Boy Hero, Harry Potter himself. It is with a heavy heart that I publicly apologise to Mr. Potter, as I was given false information from a source that I believed to be reliable.

My office has been flooded with letters and even some Howlers for some time now. Why is this important, you ask? Well, my dear readers, the majority of the senders of said mail were students from our very own Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! It has come to my attention that the information provided by Ginevra Weasley was in fact, a horrifying lie!

The truth, my lovelies, is more unbelievable than the lies! To begin with, Miss Ginevra Weasley is, in fact, a patient of the Janus Thickey unit of St. Mungo’s. She was meant to be in the holding cells in the ministry to await trial, along with her brother Roland and his muggleborn girlfriend, Harmony. Why was Miss Weasley being kept away from her date with justice in a pleasant place like the JT unit? Well, the pregnancy she boasts of was the only truth she disclosed to this intrepid reporter. As you may know, dementors have a most dangerous effect on expectant mothers, so it is understandable to keep the girl elsewhere. The more I found out, the more fitting I found her placement in the psychiatric ward, my dears. Now, let me tell you why.

As I am sure you remember, Miss Weasley informed us all of her impending nuptials to our own Boy Who Lived, due to her pregnancy, as well their ‘courtship’ that supposedly began at the end of 1992. When I began to investigate this matter more deeply, I found no such courting contract in existence! From what information I was able to acquire, the two had never even shared a date, let alone marital relations. According to my sources, the young Miss Weasley was seen by our Boy Hero as nothing more than his best friend’s little sister. The same source also revealed some concerning behaviour from the clearly delusional girl. She had apparently been writing the name ‘Lady Ginny Potter’ on all of her belongings from the very first day of her education.

But, the information on the Weasley/Potter courtship was not the only thing I found out from the battle-hardened warriors of Gringotts.

My meeting with the Goblins of Gringotts was initially prompted by a letter, detailing an issue with my maiden family’s title. It has come to my attention that my beloved brother, Glenjamin Fawley died just three days ago. My own nephew, Alamendon, who was next in line for the Fawley Lordship, was in fact a squib. In the midst of my grieving for this poor, magicless soul and his departed father, I was shocked to learn that I was named heir. Why are these two things related, you may ask?

Through a series of unbelievable events, including fealty and loyalty oaths, as well as an unintentional slavery bond, I was not being granted the title of family Head. I was being summoned as a courtesy, to be informed of the change of succession to the Fawley line. During the long and complicated web of politics and paperwork, they finally discovered my family Head. None other than Lord Harry James Potter himself.

If you can believe it, that is still not all!

The names Potter, Gryffindor, Peverell, Parkinson, Umbridge, Gaunt, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. What do they have in common? To the average person, the answer would be a resounding ‘Nothing!’, but now… they finally have a link. That link is the current lord. Of every single one. Lord Harry James Potter.
The Black and Hufflepuff lines are much the same. How, you ask? The same Heir, once again, for both illustrious lines. Lord Harry James Potter.

Again, I would like to formally apologise to Lord Harrison Peverell-Potter-Slytherin-Gryffindor-Ravenclaw-Gaunt-Parkinson-Umbridge, Heir Black-Hufflepuff, for slandering your person and character.

(For more information on fealty and loyalty oaths, see pages 6&7)
(For more information on familial connections, see pages 2-4 & 9-12)

“No!” Roared a furious Headmaster, slamming both fists on the table.

Everyone in the Hall stopped, flabbergasted at the old man’s actions.

“You little bastard!” He shouted, pointing his wand at a slack-jawed Harrison. “I should have ruddy well killed you as an infant!”

Despite knowing that Dumbledore was no match for him-them, Harrison couldn’t help the way his heart skipped a beat. Even as the emerald green bead of light grew at the tip of the white wand, he did nothing.

“AVA-!”

In a flash, before anyone had a chance to react, George was standing, his palm outstretched. He never even spoke, but the Headmaster flew back with such force that debris exploded from the wall as he collided with the unforgiving surface.

“Will someone please firecall Madam Amelia Bones?” George asked, eerily calm, as he retook his seat.

The Slytherins burst out into raucous laughter, while the Gryffindors remained oddly quiet, save for a dozen or so. The Ravenclaws were, for the most part, simply stuck on the fact that their Headmaster, one of the most widely respected and intelligent men alive… just tried to murder a student in front of no less than the castle’s entire population. A handful of the Hufflepuffs were sobbing openly, but most of them were furious. Whether their fury was aimed at Dumbledore, the laughing Slytherins, or Harrison himself, no one had any idea.

“Everyone will please, remain in your seats!” Professor Snape called out. “The aurors will require statements, thus it would be simpler for all of you to remain in a single location. Back to your meals.”

It only took a few minutes for the cavalry to arrive. During that time, George was the only one who had gone back to his full English, while everyone else was either wearing a perfect mask of disinterest or gossiping madly to anyone within earshot.

Half of the staff had casted various binding spells, hexes and charms. In the end, Dumbledore was covered from chest to toe in ropes, chains, vines and even some bindings that were made of pure magic that shone a brilliant gold. Harrison knew that his half-goblin professor was responsible for the gold ‘ropes’. It was similar to magic he’d seen performed by Thortac and Griphook over the summer. Professor Sprout had obviously been responsible for the vines, but Harrison would never doubt a woman’s strength who could care for Devil’s Snare without injury. The other bindings were the same ropes and chains, but they had subtle differences that could make their casters identifiable. There was no doubt in Harrison’s mind that the barbed chains were courtesy of his mother. Some of the roughly hewn ropes looked less than stellar, were much too loose to be of any use, and rougher than steel wool scrubbers he’d had to use in Surrey. That couldn’t have been anyone other than the stupid Defense professor. That spell could only come from a botched incantation. What was it with Dumbledore hiring the most incompetent morons in all of Europe to teach them defence?

Sure, Dumbles wanted professors who were incapacitated for whatever reason (Harrison figured it was probably something to do with keeping the masses stupid), but some of them were still good, despite the handicaps. This cow, though, was more of a useless type of annoying, rather than homicidal like most of them.

 

Within ten minutes, the Great Hall was being swarmed with nearly a dozen aurors, being led by Amelia Bones.

Susan, Harrison’s Hufflepuff yearmate, ran up to the monocled woman and hugged her tightly. “Auntie! It was horrible! He-he just-and it was green-and chains and-”

Amelia pulled back, holding onto the young woman by her upper arms. “Look at me, Soopy.”

Hitches in her breath slowing, Susan nodded shakily.

“Go back and sit with your friends, and remember what Healer Sharp said, okay?” Amelia’s tone was firm, but caring. “We can talk later if you want.”

Susan said “Okay,” and moved back toward the Hufflepuff table, mouth moving as if she was muttering to herself.

“My apologies, everyone,” She said, sighing. “I need to see Lord Potter first, along with… Fre-er, Geor- The twin that blasted Dumbledore. Higgins, put the suppressors on the Headmaster, but don’t take him in yet.”

George was on his feet in a flash, while Harrison didn’t rush. Why does everyone want to kill him so badly?

“Jealousy,” Fred replied with a chuckle.

Harrison thought it was strange that he felt no fear or trepidation from either of them. Yes, it was Amelia, rather than some random person, and logically knew that they had done nothing wrong, he couldn’t help but feel like he was walking toward his doom.

She silently led them out to the Entrance Hall, followed by three of the aurors. “Before we get into this, I have one thing to say, off the record.” She flung up a sound barrier that surrounded the group of seven. No one would be able to say she’d done anything wrong during questioning by excluding the aurors. “It might be a terrible ordeal now, but you just have to know something, okay?”

Brows knit in curiosity, Harrison nodded for her to continue.

“That even though it sucks now, it’ll all be worth it when I cash in all of my unused vacation time and go on a month-long holiday. I’ve worked so many hours of overtime because of you, that I’ll be able to afford luxury accommodations.”

The twins laughed. “We’ll donate to the cause. ‘Let Bones Relax Her Bones’ Foundation!”

“Alright, alright,” she said when a few of the aurors chuckled. “Tell me what happened.”

Half an hour later, Harrison flopped onto his bed, exhausted. How was it still daylight? “I’m so tired of people trying to kill me.”

“So are we,” they replied.

He swatted at their arms, before rolling off the bed, but was met by a firm barrier. “I need the loo, so you might want to let me up.”

“And that’s all the thanks I get for saving your hide,” George said with an exaggerated sigh. “That’s downright shameful.”

Harrison rolled his eyes. “Proper thanks will either wait, or I’m going to piss on you.”

George rolled over the side with a thump and, in true George fashion, rolled under the bed for protection. “I might be open to experimenting, but not that kind!” He called out.

Harrison fell asleep that night, feeling the calm of the castle, with a smile on his face.

Notes:

Let me know what you think, and as always, feel free to either make predictions or suggestions.
PS, the name Glenjamin was my sister's boyfriend's idea. Just sayin'...

Chapter 13

Harrison woke abruptly, breathing rapidly.

"What the fuck?" Fred whispered, sounding just as breathless as his husband. He wiped the sweat off his brow.

"There's something wrong with the castle," Harrison replied softly. "I don't know what it is though. It's just… flashes of emotions, I think. Something…"

Pressing his hand above the headboard, Fred splayed his fingers out on the cool stones. "I'm not sure what I'm feeling, but it's coming from… the seventh floor somewhere."

As the pair began to climb out of bed, Harrison stopped. "If Georgie is still sleeping, whatever it is, isn't dangerous." Regardless, he shook the dozing redhead’s shoulder.

"Wuzuhplm?" George slurred sleepily.

Fred snorted while Harrison chuckled lightly. "Come on, wake up. We've got another mystery to solve apparently." Harrison shook him a bit more firmly.

Letting out a whine, George sat up and began muttering to himself, knowing full well he could be heard. "Better be bloody good. Nice dream, shaking me, wanted to see what was next, now I have to use the loo. Never getting back to sleep now."

Yawning, Harrison leaned on the wall to wait. Mentally tracking where people were making rounds (or just breaking curfew), he noticed that his mum was awake.

"Want him to tag along?" George asked, seeming to be a bit more alert as he flicked his hands to dry them. He summoned his slippers and stepped into them, heading for the door.

"Yeah," Harrison agreed. "Our plans to spend time together were kind of interrupted. He'd probably appreciate it."

 

Still sensing no danger, the group of four made their way to the seventh floor at a leisurely pace.

"So, what exactly have you been… getting from the castle?" Severus asked, tugging the belt on his dressing gown.

"Just weird feelings. Confusion, apprehension and hope mostly." Harrison said honestly. "Freddie? Anything that I missed?"

Fred trailed his fingers along the wall as they walked. "It's all coming from one place, but from a lot of people. I can't get much more than that, but I can tell it's growing clearer… there's fear too, but still, nothing threatening."

Severus hummed in thought.

"Wait!" Fred called, stopping the others in their tracks. "This is the spot."

Now paying attention to his surroundings, Severus blinked in surprise. "The room of requirements? What in Merlin’s name would call you here?"

"The what?" The trio asked in unison.

Rather than explain, he shooed them away and paced in front of a blank stretch of wall. "I need to find what pulled my son here. I need to find what pulled my son here. I need to find…"

Harrison and George shared a look of befuddlement while Fred’s jaw popped at the force of his yawn.

They gasped as one, as the wall shimmered, turning into a massive door. It was at least fifteen feet high and covered in tasteful carvings.

"Here we are," Severus said as he pushed open the door. "I will explain, but it can wait until we figure out what woke you."

"What woke some of us," Harrison joked, nudging George.

Rolling his eyes, George went in first. He whistled slowly, taking in the strange room. There were stacks of junk as far as the eye could see. Everything from clothes to statues to brooms to luggage to a pair of wrestling gnomes.

All four of them wandered around, occasionally picking things up that caught their eyes. Nothing was pocketed of course… well, except that one stack of books. But that wasn’t Severus' fault. Those books were covered in thick layers of dust, so it was the only logical move. Books were meant to be read and experienced, not neglected.

"I think I found it!" Harrison called out, hovering his hand over a pile of haphazardly stacked trunks, most of which seemed to be damaged. All of which were filthy.

Harrison heard the shuffling sounds of slippers on stone as he stared at the one trunk that felt like… something. He wasn’t sure why, precisely, but it wasn't an ordinary trunk.

"This?" Severus asked sceptically. "You were woken and dragged up ten flights of stairs for a trunk?"

They shrugged, just as confused.

"I suppose we were." George knelt down. "It's not dangerous." He cast an unlocking charm at it and the lid flopped open.

Severus stopped him from looking inside and did so himself. "There is no telling how deep it is, nor its contents." He flicked his wand, causing the tip to glow brightly, and pointed it inside. "I still cannot see the bottom."

Without thinking, Harrison reached out and grabbed the tip of his wand and pulled on the bead of light. As it was removed, he stared down into the trunk and began to lower the light. As it slowly descended, he noticed that the walls inside were like glass and they continued down for at least thirty feet. Then forty. Then fifty. How deep was this thing, and what in Merlin’s name was down there?

“I think the best way to go about this is to have one of us levitate another down.” George said practically. He placed his hands on the inner walls. “Even open, I don’t feel anything malicious.”

“Harrison,” Severus said, making up his mind. “Would you levitate me down? I will find out what is down there, then, and only then, will I allow any of you down. Agreed?”

Having no real issue with it, Harrison nodded. “That’s fine. I already know it isn’t dangerous, so I don’t mind.” He carefully picked his mother up and began to lower the man down into the trunk.

Severus, for his part, was standing perfectly upright, not touching the sides at all.

After a minute or two, they heard a call. “I’m at the bottom. I will be back within five minutes.”

Much to the amusement of the trio, they saw a patronus gliding up the tunnel within two minutes. “Aurors, now!” It snapped, dissipating immediately.

“Freddie, can you get the aurors?” Harrison asked, his eyes never leaving the tunnel. “I’m going down.”

“Will you at least take George down too?” Fred asked calmly, his gaze settled on the subtle bump in Harrison’s pyjama shirt.

Following that line of thought through the bond, Harrison touched his softened stomach. “Of course. Go quickly, and we’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Fred spun on the spot and vanished with a muted crack.

 

Upon seeing the familiar facade of the ministry building, Fred hurried to the entrance, all the while, keeping a close eye on the bond. There was nothing new, no spiked emotions, and still no fear. He jogged to the first desk he came across. “I need aurors at Hogwarts immediately.”

The witch that was sitting behind the desk merely raised an eyebrow, but didn’t look away from her book. “Reason?”

“Because they’re needed!” Fred half-shouted. Do you know what’s down there yet? I need to know what to tell them.

Nothing so far. George is almost down, and I’m waiting for him before going any further. Lie if you have to. Say it’s an emergency.

Not caring much for the idea, lest he be charged for filing a false report, he ignored the witch and jogged to the lifts.

She called out a few times, but made no move to actually stop him.

Fred rolled his eyes at the pitiful excuse for security, especially at three am. For a moment, he wondered why Voldemort had had so much trouble taking over. For all that woman knew, he was a ‘Death Eater’ assassin, but she just let him waltz right through.

Hopping out of the lift, he called out to the first auror he found.

“Weasley?” The auror asked in confusion. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the castle? You didn’t do something stupid like drop out, did you?”

Looking at her, Fred realised he knew her from somewhere. “Cassie?” Cassie Warrington was a Slytherin prefect in his and George’s first year. She was in her… fifth year at that time? While she’d given the twins no shortage of detentions, she’d also been kind and reasonable. “Okay, we need aurors at the school. Quickly!”

“Why, what did you do?” She asked with a snort. “Unleash a band of wild animals in the dorms?”

“Look, there isn’t-” Fred gasped, feeling like he’d been punched in the gut. “George?” He whispered.

“George?” Cassie asked in confusion. “I knew it! You two aren’t just twins. You’re magical twins. You guys used your bond to avoid getting caught, didn't you?”

Fred nodded, tapping into the bond. He dropped to his knees as a second wave of… something washed through him, or rather from Harrison. “We need to go now!” They weren’t hurt physically, but the rush of mixed emotions was strong enough to make him brace his hands on the floor. Shock, trepidation, disbelief, betrayal and… happiness? Then came the rage. No matter how hard he tried to send calming waves through the bond, all he could feel was rage and betrayal. At the overwhelming level of hurt, he couldn’t stop the tears that streamed from his eyes.

It wasn’t until he was pulled off the floor that Fred realised that Cassie had grabbed him.

“I’ve already got four aurors to accompany us, okay?” Cassie said, the worry clear in her voice. She guided him to the floo and they went up in a rush of emerald flames as he used his magic to reroute them from the Headmaster’s office to the RoR.

The auror floos, he realised, were more like doorways than anything, as they walked through one after the other, without the floo going cold between trips like usual.

All of the aurors were trying to figure out why they were in an unknown location.

“Where the hell are we, Weasley?” Cassie demanded, still holding him upright.

“The trunk,” he replied. “They went down into the trunk and sent me after you.” Someone talk to me! The aurors need to know what’s going on. I need to know what’s going on!

Dad… George said, sounding broken.

Harrison was silent.

“Alright, kid, what’s-”

“They said something about…” Fred went quiet, mentally demanding answers, but none were forthcoming. “We need to get down there, now!”

Without waiting, Fred jumped into the trunk, feeling the magic of his husband catch him almost immediately. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he hurried toward the stilled figures of Harrison and George.

Aurors followed one after the other, landing on a massive pouffe conjured by Fred, to sit at the base of the tunnel.

Fred rushed to the spot between his husband and his brother. Neither were moving, but nor was Professor Snape, who was standing a few feet in front of them.

Finally, Fred looked forward. His knees gave out and he landed heavily on the stone floor.

There, behind a panel of magically altered glass… was his dad. Alive. And playing with a child with dark auburn hair, around four or five.

But Arthur Weasley and the child weren’t the only ones inside. Not by a long shot. There were well over a dozen people, and they recognised about half, though some were by photo only.

In what looked like a more colour-neutral version of the Gryffindor common room, the people milled around, unaware of their audience, but clearly agitated. By the oversized fireplace, a pair of tall, well-muscled twins with red hair seemed to be arguing with a younger man with curly black hair.

“These people were all reported dead.”

Harrison and the twins were jolted out of their stupors at the booming sound of the auror’s voice.

“Charlie!” Another auror shouted, hitting the glass, but whoever Charlie was, he didn’t show any sign of hearing the call.

Clasping their hands together, Harrison, Fred and George raised their arms and blasted the glass into a pile of glittering dust.

The people in the enclosure launched themselves behind any piece of furniture they could reach at the threat of attack.

“Dad?” The twins said, as Harrison and Severus said, “Lily?”

Cassie stepped through the glass dust. “I am Auror Warrington. Will everyone please come forward and state your names?”

Notes:

Yes, it was cliffhanger. Sorry about that lol. Anyway, does anyone want to take a guess what happened? I left a little tiny clue in the last chapter.

Chapter 14

“Jamie?” A confused voice asked. “What the hell happened to you?”

“It’s a glamour,” Harrison said slowly. “I’m not James. It is nice to meet you, though. I… er- I’m Harrison, actually.”

“Lily,” Severus breathed. “I… I knew you were alive… but, you’ve been here all along? We were planning on looking for you over the summer… Dear Merlin, you really are alive.”

Lily, still looking as lovely as the last time he saw her, launched herself into Severus’ arms.

As they bemoaned their losses, each other, time, their family, etc, Harrison looked around.

The older twins, that he was sure were Fabian and Gideon, were talking to an auror, still holding the man who looked so familiar.

His own red-headed twins were holding on to their thought-to-be dead father for dear life. The sheer relief of not truly being at fault for the murder of their father was nearly crippling. He watched as they sobbed into each other's arms, none needing to speak.

Another auror was clinging to the man that Harrison assumed was the Charlie fellow he’d been shouting for. He heard the auror tell the man that he’d been helping someone named Rochelle look after his son all these years.

“I’ve told Dean all about you, Charlie,” the auror was saying as tears streamed down his face.

Harrison stayed off to the side, despite knowing who several captives were. There were more captives than aurors, so several people were left standing around, waiting for their turn, much like himself. The difference, however, was that having known each other for so long, they had people to talk to. He didn’t know what to say to any of them. ‘Hey, you’re free. Fancy a cuppa?’ He rolled his eyes internally.

Harrison stepped over the long line of glass powder and into the enclosure. It looked like a house. Aside from the highly disturbing viewing wall. He wondered how often their captor came here, just to watch them interact. That was the most puzzling thing. If these people were presumed dead, why were they being kept like zoo animals? What purpose could keeping them alive serve? Not that he wasn’t glad they were alive, he just didn’t understand why they were.

All of these people were going to go home and reunite with their families, who likely stopped mourning them years ago. How would those families react to having their ‘deceased’ family members suddenly coming back from the dead? What were the people, who’d had their lives stolen, going to do with themselves now? How were they supposed to pick up the pieces of a life left upwards of seventeen years in the past? How many of them were completely forgotten by the younger generation? How many of them would return to empty houses? How many of them were the last of the family? What would happen to them? How many of them would have children now? How many of them had left children behind to be raised as orphans?

Like Harrison himself. He wasn’t an orphan by a long-shot, but he’d thought he was for nearly fifteen years. He’d been reminded of the fact more and more, the older he’d become. It was one of the Dursley’s favourite taunts. James was a drunken, unemployed layabout and Lily was a junkie and a prostitute. Unlike some, he’d had no one to tell him the truth for more than a decade. Even after finding out what he’d been told by Hagrid and Dumbleduffer, he still had trouble believing that they had been good people. Even finding the truth beyond what he’d been told, he still struggled.

How many of their own children knew the truth of their parents or aunts and uncles, cousins and siblings? Would they have idealised reputations to live up to? Would they be able to live up to expectations, unwittingly foisted upon them by well-meaning relatives? How would they cope with the lives they’d been given a second chance to fulfil?

 

Harrison took in his surroundings. There were a total of four doors attached to the main room. The first was a sparsely stocked bathroom. The second was a bedroom with five bare cots, lying on the floor. The second and third were the same. The fourth door was a kitchenette and standing in front of the hob were four children.

“Hello,” Harrison said calmly. “My name is Harrison. Who are you?” He noticed that, like roughly half of the captives, the children were all redheads.

The oldest, who looked close to Harrison’s age, furrowed his brow. “Harrison? As in Harrison Snape?”

“That’s me,” he replied with a quick nod. What had Lily and Arthur told them?

“Ah, well…” the oldest began. “This is rather awkward. Well, I’m Adalyn, thirteen, next to me is Alessandra, eleven, then Amara is five, and the baby is Adelaide. She’s almost a year old. We… we’re your half-sisters.”

“What, all of you?!” Harrison’s eyes bugged. “Hang on, sorry. That was… that was rude. Erm, not to be nosy, but if you’re all Lily’s, who is your father?”

Adalyn sighed sadly. “She told us it wasn’t important. I don’t think she… got to choose,” she said, emphasising the last part while shooting glances at her-their younger sisters.

Harrison immediately understood. Too well, honestly, but the little redheads didn’t need to know that. They all had the same dark auburn hair and green eyes, but lighter than Harrison’s. The older two were tall and slender, while the younger two were still carrying baby fat. He did note that they were tall for their ages also.

“Okay,” he eventually said, still in shock. “D’you want to go find Lily? Or, would you rather wait in here for some of the excitement to die down?”

The baby, Adelaide, started fussing and without a second thought, Harrison scooped the little girl up, into his arms.

“I’m gonna go find Cedric!” Amara said sneakily. She started whispering loudly to Harrison, “I’m gonna jump on him and make him give me horsey rides!”

While the five year old ran out of the room, Harrison gaped. “Cedric? Cedric Diggory?”

“Yeah,” Adalyn said, snapping him out of his stupor. “He’s one of the newer ones. The only one that came after him was Mr. Weasley. He gets along with Reggie the most. And ‘Mara, of course.”

Harrison couldn’t believe it. The boy he’d spent so long mourning, blaming himself for, was alive. How? Why? And, better yet, how the hell were the ‘ghosts’ of Lily, James and Cedric all at the graveyard that night? Lily and Cedric really were here. And his… step-mum? Carrier? Maybe surrogate… had four children, while apparently in captivity. And the oldest was barely younger than himself.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the little girl, Adelaide, blew raspberries on his cheek, leaving a slobbery mess behind. Looking closely at her, Harrison realised that Adelaide had the beginnings of a face full of light brown freckles, mostly surrounding her nose and cheeks.

Harrison returned the raspberry, but with a lot less spit. The little girl squealed with delight and did it again. Having seen children grow up in Surrey, he knew that wiping the spit off while she was looking at him was probably going to make her cry. The last thing he wanted to deal with at four in the morning was a screaming one year old. But, he supposed he was going to have to get used to it at some point.

“Mummy!” Adelaide said, kicking her little legs as she scanned the area.

“Let’s go find your mummy then,” he said with a small smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah! Fin’ mummy!”

When Harrison carried the toddler out of the kitchen, he noticed her staring at the missing wall in puzzlement. “Mummy!” She screeched excitedly upon seeing Lily, her chubby legs going faster.

Harrison let out a pained gasp and dropped to his knees, keeping Adelaide in his arms. He gently put her on the floor. “Go get mummy,” he said in a strained tone, tears gathering in his eyes, all the while telling himself not to cry out. Adelaide hadn’t meant to kick him in the groin, so he wasn’t going to shout. It wasn’t easy.

Taking steadying breaths, he kept one hand on the floor and the other over his manhood.

“You alright?”

With one last breath, Harrison looked up. Despite the voice being different, he’d expected to see George or Fred. It was neither.

“Lady’s got spurs on her heels, I swear.” The man said. He was the one with the Prewett twins, the one who looked familiar.

“Lady?” He rasped.

“Adelaide,” the man explained with a fond smile. “I can’t tell you how many times she’s run into, kicked or jumped on my bits, so I know how it feels.” He held out his hand to help Harrison to his feet.

When he got to his feet, Harrison didn’t move. Standing was painful enough, let alone walking around. “Thanks,” he said, forcing his tone to stay level.

“Adalyn told me who you were,” the man said calmly. “I can honestly say, I never thought I’d meet my god-nephew.”

Harrison’s brow knit, his focus straying from the pain. “God-nephew? Siri’s brother? Are you Regulus?” He felt stupid. Of course this man was Sirius’ brother. They looked a lot alike, especially the hair. It was so obvious.

“At your service,” he said, grinning. “Arthur told me what was going on with Siri, as of Yule anyway. So, how is he, being in hiding? I can’t imagine he’s liking being stuck in that horrid house.”

At that, Harrison couldn’t help but snort. “He’s not in hiding anymore. He was actually freed right before Mr. Weasley pa… er, disappeared. I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that Moony finally locked him down.”

“You’re kidding?!” Regulus laughed heartily. “I’ve been waiting for them to tie the knot since I was twelve!”

“Well, they’re not technically married yet, but it’ll probably be this summer. They haven’t got too much time left before it becomes a scandal.”

For a moment, Regulus looked confused, but his eyes eventually lit up in excitement. “They’re giving me a niece or nephew?”

Harrison hesitated, realising that Siri probably wanted to share this news himself. “Er, pretend I didn’t say that.”

“Of course,” he said warmly. “Feeling better yet? Maybe enough to move?”

Chuckling, Harrison winced. “Not really. I’ve been kicked in the balls before, but it never does get any easier.”

“True,” Regulus replied. “Here, let’s go find you a seat.”

As they settled on the couch magicked into existence by Harrison, Regulus sighed.

“Are you seeing the Prewett twins?” Harrison blurted out.

“Well, we haven’t gone out on dates, but I suppose so.”

“Fair enough,” he said, shifting gingerly in his seat.

“Does it bother you?” Regulus asked, his left brow raising at the question.

“It’d make me a bit of a hypocrite if it did.” He said, smirking. “It seems our tastes run similar.” He pointed toward his husbands.

“The Prewett family is known for their magical twins,” Regulus laughed, but stopped upon seeing his god-nephew’s face lose colour. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Harrison said quickly. “Just a bit nauseous.”

“I think the aurors are about finished.” Regulus stood and clapped Harrison on the shoulder. “They said that we’re all to be seen at St. Mungo’s, and then some more talking at the Ministry. After that, I believe we’ll all be released. I would be thrilled to visit with you over the summer, if you would allow it, of course.”

More than ready for bed, as it was nearly five am, Harrison agreed. “That would be great,” he said honestly.

As he stood, he noticed Cedric by the giant pouffe, waiting to be levitated up the tunnel.

Harrison tried to say ‘hello’ but his throat felt like it had closed.

The older boy had no such qualms. “Harry!” He flung his arms around the younger boy and squeezed.

Harrison broke down in quiet sobs. “I’m so sorry. It was all my fault. I was so stupid, Cedric. Gods, I can’t believe you’re really alive! I’m so sorry…”

Cedric, shocked at Harry’s behaviour, just held him and did his best to calm him down.

“Come on,” he eventually said. “It’s our turn to go up. You ready?”

Harrison pulled back, humiliated by his own actions, cleaned his face up and nodded. “Let’s go.”

Notes:

Well, good news everyone. I'll have plenty of time to work on this story for the next 10 days. I caught Omicron from my sister, so I'm not allowed to leave her house. My workplace has a 10 day restriction, despite the CDC deciding to cut down the quarantine time to 5, so it's an extra 5 days to devote to the story!
Feel free to leave predictions and what you'd like to see happen!

Chapter 15

Notes:

This isn't the most exciting chapter (and is a bit short), but my sister assures me that it isn't boring. I don't know. This chapter fought me so hard, but I hope it isn't too obvious. Let me know what you think.

As tired as everyone was, no one could go to bed. Instead, they were all dragged to the ministry for questioning. When it was found that none of them were in need of medical attention, the visit to St. Mungo’s was going to wait until questioning was finished. Madam Bones was called in, as senior auror.

She was not happy. In fact, upon seeing Harrison and the twins, she huffed and threw a wad of crumpled parchment at Harrison.

George didn’t even realise he’d put up a shield until the wad hit the floor. “Sorry,” he muttered to no one in particular.

Snorting in amusement, Harrison leaned into his shoulder. “It’s okay, Georgie. I like your overprotectiveness.”

“Alright,” Amelia sighed. “What is it this time? What could you three have possibly done in the twelve hours since I last saw you?”

“What do you mean, twelve hours?” The horrified question came from the massive group, particularly Mr. Weasley. “What did you do that required auror intervention?”

George kept his head down and mumbled, “Attacked Dumbledore…”

“Ah, well,” Mr. Weasley said, stunned. “Good job then.”

“Arthur?” Amelia gasped, falling heavily into the nearest chair. “But… I was at your funeral.”

“Hang on, Mr. Weasley,” Harrison said with a smirk, then raised his voice. “Show of hands. Who here has died within the last twenty years?”

Aside from Harrison’s… sisters, every one of the captives raised their hands, causing Amelia to scan the crowd.

“Edgar?” She croaked. “Lavinia?”

“Hey, sis,” an older gentleman with greying hair said. “How have you been?”

She launched herself out of the chair and wrapped Edgar and Lavinia in tight hugs, sobbing for all she was worth.

“How?” Was the only part her muffled cries that anyone could hear.

 

For the next several hours, each of them were questioned separately.

At some point, Harrison fell asleep on Fred’s lap.

Severus was still holding onto Lily.

Amara was sleeping on Alessandra, while Adelaide curled up in Regulus’ arms. Adalyn sat next to some people that neither George nor Fred recognised. The groupings were similar to the trunk. Little groups of two and three, scattered all over the office, and some in the corridor, as there wasn’t enough space.

Aurors had the entire area blocked off and warded. This was no small story, and they didn’t want any information released until they were ready.

“Freddie?” George whispered.

“Hm?”

“I’m going to go ask Amelia if we can leave,” he said. “He’s completely wrung out.”

Fred smiled. “And we’re not even the ones who came back from the dead.”

“Is he alright?” Mr. Weasley asked, concerned.

“Yeah,” Fred said, grinning widely. “He’s fine.”

George came back from the interrogation room and shook his head. “Not yet. We have to wait for everyone to be finished.”

“We can tell him,” George said, nudging the bond. “He’s really here, and now we have someone to share it with.”

Harrison rubbed his nose and snuggled further into Fred’s neck.

“Dad,” George began. “We have something to tell you.”

At the look of apprehensive worry on their father’s face, Fred was quick to reassure him. “It’s not bad, okay? Maybe a bit ill timed, but not bad.”

“Well, you’re both speaking in full sentences, so that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence…”

The twins chuckled.
“If it helps,”
“We’d be happy,”
“To tell our,”
“News in bits.”

“I don’t mind the full sentences.” The Weasley patriarch laughed. “So, boys, what’s this good but ill-timed news?”

“Well, you see, before we tell you, you have to understand that none of us knew the implications of what we were doing, but… did it anyway. You know, there really needs to be lessons on this kind of thing. Would have saved us all so much headache-”

“I’ve never heard you, either of you, ramble before.” Arthur stared at them in concern.

“We as’dently go’ married,” Harrison said sleepily, refusing to open his eyes.

“What did he say?” Mr. Weasley asked slowly. One thing in his favour was that he never got mad without gathering all of the information first. And, this was no small news. His sons were seventeen, and while legal, he never pictured the twins getting married at all, let alone to the same person. He felt that they might have more difficulties dating as they got older, as not many people would take dating them seriously. Of course he’d known about their various crushes, especially the one Fred had had for Harry for the past couple of years, but he hadn’t expected this.

Realising what he’d just said, Harrison gasped and his eyes flew open. “I’m so sorry,” he said, mentally slapping himself. “I didn’t mean to blurt that out.”

Finding the entire thing amusing, George snorted. “That’s alright, love. I thought it was funny.”

Harrison couldn’t help but feel guilty for spilling the beans. They’d waited for him to tell his family, and he went and told Mr. Weasley by mistake in seconds.

“It’s true,” Fred said calmly. “We are married. It wasn’t a ceremony or anything, but we did bond.”

“There was a kind of ceremony afterwards, though.” George helped Harrison, who was upset, sit up. “Our little Harrikins here was a named goblin, and a goblin contingency showed up bless the union.”

The balding man blinked slowly. “This isn’t some kind of prank? Before you answer that, I want to remind you that I have been living in a trunk for several months now, and-”

“Dad, it’s not a prank,” Fred said, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder. “There aren’t many things we won’t joke about, but offending goblins is not one we want to try.”

Mr. Weasley stared at them. And stared.

“Er, mum?” Harrison said, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

Severus never took his eyes off of Lily as they whispered with their heads close together.

Harrison sent a low powered tickling charm at the man’s side. “Mum,” he said, a bit more loudly than before.

Shaking his head, as if to clear it, Severus finally tore his gaze away from Lily’s face. “Yes?”

“I… I think we broke Mr. Weasley,” Harrison replied sheepishly, indicating the older man.

Mr. Weasley shifted in his seat. “No, I’m alright. I… Severus, did you know about this?”

“He means the accidental marriage,” Fred supplied at Severus’ confused expression.

“Ah,” Severus said, just as Lily squawked wordlessly. “Yes, I was made aware, shortly after the fact. Perhaps, it might be within everyone’s best interests to withhold any further delicate information until we are outside the highly public government building?”

“I wish you would all be quiet!”

“You little sneak!” Harrison said, reaching into George’s pocket. Xia looked up at him unrepentantly.

“Of course I sneak, silly mummy. I am a snake.” If she could, Harrison was sure the little snake would have been rolling her eyes. "Now I need quiet, so I can sleep. You are all much too loud."

A semi-dazed Amelia escorted out a weary looking older gentleman. “Thank you, Lachlan. Next up is-” her eyes widened. “I don’t even know why I’m surprised by this point. Pandora Lovegood, come with me, please.”

Harrison, hearing the name, jerked his head up in shock.

A tall, elegant looking woman with waist-length, chestnut brown locks strode across the marble tiles. While she seemed, at first glance, to have an uppity air, Harrison could see the tell-tale glint of mischief in her steely grey eyes.

The woman hesitated and faced him. “I can’t thank you enough for all you have done for my baby. My little Luna, or Luna Bell as you’re fond of calling her, has really come into herself since she befriended you. She was so lonely for so long, so thank you.”

Harrison was startled when she pulled him into a tight hug.

“They’re going to be beautiful,” she whispered, giving him a wink.

With a gasp, he pulled away. “What?”

She gently patted the gentle swell of his stomach. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

“Er, thank you,” he said, flushing deeply, as she walked into Amelia’s office. “I think we need to speak with Luna today…”

The twins pulled their gazes from their father, who was still coming to grips with their news.

“That was Luna’s mother, Pandora.” He scrubbed a hand over his tired eyes. “Luna told me that her mother was in a spell-crafting accident and died in front of her. How do you fake the death of someone in front of their nine year old?”

“Well,” George began, clapping his hands on his thighs. “There’s only one or two more people after Auntie Panda, so we should be able to see her before lunch.”

The sun was already high in the sky and it was nearly ten. Harrison yawned and leaned against the window. The cool glass felt like heaven on his skin. He should have switched his pyjamas for a set of summer robes, rather than uncomfortably snug jeans and oversized leather jacket. The robes were light enough to keep people from overheating, but at the same time, voluminous enough to hide his growing form.

He willed the button on his jeans to pop open, and sighed in relief when the pressure released. He knew that he was going to have red marks from the waistband. Why isn't today over yet?

Notes:

It is official. I will never listen to my sister's boyfriend. He said I should finish the chapter by saying "And Dumbledore dropped dead. The End." Yeah, I don't think so.

Chapter 16

By the time everyone was released and the captives went to get checked out at St. Mungo’s, Harrison and the twins went back to the castle. Severus had gone along with Lily.

Harrison wondered if the man realised that she now had four children. Said children were all being occupied by others the entire time, and as far as he could tell, she never made any introductions. How was his mum going to react to that bit of news?

“As much as we like your mum,” Fred said, slipping into the seat next to him. “We would rather talk about how you feel about it.”

How were they so perfect?

Sighing, Harrison looked around the Great Hall. How many students were going to be personally affected by all of the ‘newly living’? “I’m not sure,” he replied honestly. He wasn’t even sure he had a right to feel one way or the other.

“If I could have everyone’s attention?” Professor McGonagall called out over the happily chatting students. “Your attention please!”

It took a minute or so, but everyone eventually calmed down.

“I am going to call several names. If I call your name, please make your way to my office.” Professor McGonagall waited for a general murmur of agreement. “First, I would like to point out that no one is in trouble.”

That got a few chuckles, both nervous and amused.

“Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchy, Dean Thomas, Cho Chang, Frederick Weasley, George Weasley, Emma Preston, Colin Creevy, Dennis Creevy and Luna Lovegood,” She let her scroll roll back up. “Everyone else, please return to your lunches.”

Harrison’s brow knit. If everyone was being called to be notified about the ‘deceased’ members of their family coming back to life, then why wasn’t Draco called? Regulus was his uncle. Or Pansy Parkinson, who was Pandora Lovegood’s niece? Or Mafalda Prewett, who was Fabian and Gideon’s cousin. Cassius Warrington was Regulus’ cousin. Both of the Greengrass girls, Daphne and Astoria, were related to the Lovegood’s, the Prewett’s and the Blacks. But, why were George and Fred called? Didn’t McGonagall know that they were involved in finding everyone? And, if she didn’t know, why wasn’t Harrison called as well? The only thing they all had in common was that they were Slytherins.

That couldn’t be right. McGonagall wasn’t the type to discriminate like that. Maybe they weren’t being summoned to be alerted of their discovered family members. But what else would have so many seemingly random students pulled away from the Great Hall, especially if it wasn’t for disciplinary reasons?

“Alright,” Draco said abruptly, shooting suspicious glances Harrison’s way. “What in Merlin’s name is going on? Why did McGonagall look like that? And why did she call those kids? They have nothing in common, so why did she want them?”

“Careful, Drakey,” Harrison smirked, slipping easily into parseltongue. “You’re whining.”

In response, the blond rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. I simply take great joy in knowing just about everything about everyone that matters. A few of them matter, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Which few?” Harrison dead-panned tiredly. “Look, dinner will be over in a few minutes, and I’ll tell everyone in the common room, okay?” He wanted to include a handful of others in the conversation. Who knows if they were even notified yet? It would be simple enough to enlarge the communication mirror, and since they were made by and for the Black family, he knew that he would be able to get in touch with Sirius and Remus, as well as Narcissa and Lucius, unless Lucius was at the ministry already.

 

When the crowds dissipated, and the expected outbursts calmed down, the realisation that most of them now had living family members that they’d long forgotten (in most cases), the flurry of rapidly written letters began to pick up.

Harrison simply sighed, making his way back to his room. He was going to get a full nights’ sleep if it killed him. He groaned angrily when someone knocked on his door.

“What?!” He demanded, wrenching the door open.

Draco’s brows rose in a combination of surprise and amusement. “Well, aren’t you a ball of sunshine?”

“What do you want?” He asked resignedly, leaving him at the door as he made his way back to his bed.

“Me? Nothing.” The blond waved an envelope around lazily and drifted into the room, a picture of elegance before flopping down next to his brother. “But the ministry picked a strange time to want something from you.”

Confusedly, Harrison took the unopened letter. There, in all its glory, was the ministry stamp. “Oh, what now?” He groaned.

As he skimmed the letter, his brows continued to rise. “What the hell is he playing at?”

“What’s wrong?” Draco asked, leaning over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the letter.

“Ron’s not getting a trial…” Harrison replied, his tone clearly revealing his confusion.

“How in Merlin’s name did he arrange that?!” Draco shouted, snatching the letter from his brother. He scanned the letter and scoffed. “Your ex-bosom buddy decided to flip on his own family. He’ll get a reduced sentence for offering up information willingly, rather than forcibly. It will all be verified of course, but it’s a ‘show of good faith and repentance’. What a load of hippogriff shite!”

“Of course he’s just looking out for himself,” Harrison scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Selfish bastard.”

“Well,” Draco said as he stood. “You still have two full days to fret about it. Have fun!” And with that, Draco left the room.

If Harrison grumbled under his breath about a stupid blond, well, there was no one to hear about it. He snuggled under the comforter and fell asleep in minutes.

 

“It wasn’t my fault!” Ron Weasley shouted, tears streaming down his freckled face.

The red head was being looked at with deep sympathy by the entire Wizengamot as he said his piece.

“They made me do it!” He said, hiccoughing now. “They said that if I didn’t go along with their plans that they’d kill me off too, and make it look like an accident with all the others! That’s what they did with my dad! The Headmaster killed him, and made it look like he was eaten by You Know Who’s snake!”

“My dear boy,” a faceless member of the Wizengamot said softly. “Your father is not dead. He was found just two days ago. He is alive and well.”

“What?” Ron asked in disbelief. He wiped his tears, but more were ready to take their place. “But… but I saw… he was… he was dead… and now they’re gonna kill me! Please, you have to help me! I just want my dad.” From there, Ron dropped his head onto his folded arms and sobbed.

A few of the more sympathetic viewers shed a tear or two, and many more sighed in sadness.

“Ronald?”

Every head in the room swivelled toward the voice.

“Dad?” Ron whimpered pathetically. With a glance at Minister Fudge, who gave a short nod, Ron launched himself out of the chair and flung himself at his father. Father and son sobbed together and hugged each other tightly.

“It’s okay, Ronnie,” Mr. Weasley said, his words choked slightly. “We’ll get you home and put all of this business behind us, yes?”

“But… but all the things I did…” Ron pulled back a bit, but didn’t let go. “Can you really help me? I didn’t want to do any of it, but I did it! Dad, I’m so sorry! I couldn’t stop Dumbledore from killing you! She made me do it!”

“It will be alright, I promise.” Mr. Weasley tightened his grip, crushing them together. “It’s time to go home.”

When Mr. Weasley led Ron out of the room, the Wizengamot cheered raucously, while the minister shouted. “Cleared of all charges!”

 

Harrison sat up, breathing heavily. Sweat made his bed clothes stick to his skin.

Catching his breath, he looked around. He was not in the ministry. He was in his own bed. Ron was not being set free, and Mr. Weasley did not escort him out. There were no cheers. The trial was in two days. Everything was fine.

Groping around in the dark, he felt the left side of the bed for Fred. But his side of the bed was cold. So was George’s. Panic lanced through his body. Where were they? Did somebody take them? They always slept in his bed. Every single night for months, they slept in the same bed. Where the hell were they?

“George?! Fred?!”

“Love, I thought you were sleeping. Are you alright?” Fred’s voice was sleepy.

“Where did you go?” Harrison asked, annoyed.

“Ol’ McGonagall sent the lot of us home to ‘get reacquainted with our recently un-deceased family’.” George explained, his yawn audible.

“Why didn’t she send you to spend time with Lily?” Fred wondered aloud, to which George shrugged.

“How the bloody hell should I know?” Harrison snapped. “I just woke up and the both of you were gone.”

“Are you alright?” Fred asked gently.

“Yeah, you just scared me. Get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Harrison just sighed.

“Er, we’ll see you for the trial…” George said sheepishly.

“What?”

“We’ve been let out for the weekend, not the night.” He replied.

Harrison growled in frustration. “Fine, I’ll see you on Monday.”

Readjusting the blankets with much more force than necessary, Harrison curled himself up in a ball and tried to go back to sleep. He knew the effort was futile.

 

The weekend without his mates was horrible. Despite being able to talk to each other at any point, it wasn’t the same. Harrison couldn’t sleep, was snapping at anyone and everyone and he’d felt nauseous more often than not. Everything was setting it off. Perfume, food, the sweat of hundreds of children running up and down the stairs was everywhere. Every time he passed the potions classroom, he’d vomited, so the headaches that came from being ill were practically constant. In short, Harrison was miserable.

It had only taken a few hours for the Slytherins to realise that they needed to keep a wide berth. Even Draco backed off.

Harrison retreated to his room for most of the time, including meals, as Eppie was quick to meet his somewhat strange diet.

It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that someone had the audacity to bother him in his room.

Without bothering to knock, Severus stormed in, looking furious.

“What the devil are you doing?” He demanded. “Holing yourself in here like some kind of heartbroken Hufflepuff! Your bookends will be back in the morning.”

Harrison glared at his mum, far from impressed.

As Severus strode closer, he blinked in surprise as his son scrambled off the bed and vomited on the flagstones. “You’re ill.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Harrison snarked back, vanishing the mess with a flick of his hand.

“Why didn’t you come to me?” Severus asked with a sigh. “You are well aware I have been keeping your potions on hand for this very reason, are you not?”

“Because you see how well being within ten feet of anyone works for me.” Harrison’s head began to swim. “Please, just back off. Your cologne is making it worse.”

Rolling his eyes, Severus cast spells over himself. “Feel free to breathe. I used spells to block out all scents, including my ‘offensive’ cologne.” He took a phial out of the pouch in his pocket. “Take this.”

Too tired to argue, Harrison knocked it back in one gulp. He fell back onto the bed, unconscious before he even touched the pillows.

Chapter 17

Notes:

This picks up almost immediately from chapter 16, okay? It's the next morning.

“Hello, love,”

Harrison barely kept himself from whipping around, knowing that abrupt movement wouldn’t end well. “Morning, Georgie. How was your visit?” As soon as the redhead took his seat on the edge of the bed, Harrison rolled over and rested his upper body on George’s torso. The firmly muscled body beneath him was like an instant balm on his semi-violent nausea. He let out a relieved breath and dropped the scent blocker charms that his mum had demonstrated.

“Mm, how do you always smell like a campfire?”

“The visit was… alright. There was a lot of talking, but Dad is finally caught up on everything. He wanted one of us to tell you that he’s thrilled you’re part of the family, and he’s looking forward to his first grandchild. Oh, and no more until you’re at least twenty.” George chuckled, running his fingers through pitch black locks.

“Tha’s nice,” he slurred with a yawn. He was quickly falling asleep, but tried his best to fight it off. There was still one more person he was waiting for.

“Fred will be here in a minute,” George said, despite knowing that Harrison was more in tune with the castle than anyone. Knowing where anyone and everyone inside the grounds were, was incredibly useful.

“M’kay,” Harrison said, breathing in that campfire smell. Now he just needed that rich dark chocolate-y scent from Fred and he would be able to sleep. The underlying, and ever-present scent of gunpowder should have him running to the nearest toilet, but it was so comforting that everything else seemed to just slip away.

Normally, Harrison would cuddle up to Fred, with George wrapped around his back, but he didn’t want to risk moving more than necessary. So when Fred entered the room, he only paused for a second before sliding in behind his poor husband.

“Is he being mean to you?” Fred asked lightly, rubbing his hand over Harrison’s bump. His hand stilled. “What is this?”

“Hm?” Harrison mumbled sleepily, wondering what he was talking about.

“This!” Fred said excitedly, flipping the light blanket out of the way. “Merlin! We were only gone for two days!”

Waking more fully at the vehemence in his husbands’ tone, Harrison looked at whatever had Fred upset. And blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. “When the hell did that happen?!” The softening of his waist had given way to a noticeable bump. It was nothing his robes couldn’t cover for now, but it hadn’t looked like that when he’d gone to bed! Holy shit. Why in Merlin’s name was he showing?! According to the few books in the library, most people didn’t show much until their… fourth month. Shit. It’s only been three, but that meant the twins’ birthday had passed.

Confused by the sudden derailment of his train of thought, Harrison shook his head.

“Do you both realise that I am the worst human to ever exist?”

“What?” They asked together, completely thrown off guard.

“With everything going on, we missed your birthdays!” Harrison cried out, feeling horribly guilty.

“Love,” Fred said in fond exasperation. “We don’t need to celebrate our birthday. Unlike someone we know, we’ve celebrated enough of them.”

“I think, at this point, we should only celebrate the milestone birthdays. Every new decade, we’ll have a massive party.”

Harrison shook his head sadly. “Can we just have a party late, rather than skip it completely? You’re eighteen for Merlin’s sake! That is a milestone!”

He knew all too well what that felt like, and he didn’t want them to experience it. It didn’t quell the jealousy that cropped up, knowing they had been loved and so well cared for. That was one of his faults that he didn’t think would ever go away.

“Of course it will,” George said softly. “You’ll wake up one day, have the odd urge to make chocolate chip pancakes for the four of us and realise that it doesn’t bother you anymore.”

Harrison snorted. “You’re cooking.”

George’s nose scrunched in distaste. “Brew potions, sure. Cook anything? Absolutely not.”

“It’ll be fine if we start boning up on fire extinguishing spells.” Fred chuckled. “I, on the other hand, can make a plethora of things.”

“Toast, porridge (if you don’t mind massive, burned chunks) and oddly enough, steak.” George smirked at his brother.

The image of thick, lumpy, charred porridge was enough to make Harrison’s stomach clench. He summoned one of the anti-nausea potions his mum left, and downed it quickly.

Within minutes, Harrison and the twins were ready to go. “If there’s not going to be a trial, then why the hell do we have to go?”

“For the sentencing, of course,” George said, slipping his hand into his lover’s. “It shouldn’t take long at all.”

 

By the time the doors closed in the courtroom, Harrison and his family had been seated for about twenty minutes. Harrison had already put cushioning charms on all of their seats, and relaxed into Fred’s arms. With the silencing charms that George had put up, Harrison had begun to nod off, but jerked awake when his mum touched his shoulder and looked at him with concern.

“Sorry,” he said, sitting up. Had he realised he’d fall asleep, he wouldn’t have snuggled up to Fred.

“Are you alright?” Severus asked, making sure to avoid moving his lips.

“Mm,” Harrison hummed half-heartedly. “Jus’ can’t seem to stay awake.” In all honesty, he didn’t care about the sentencing. Ronald would be punished, but that didn’t mean he cared enough to watch. All he wanted to do was take a long, hot bath with his husbands and go to bed for a minimum of forty-eight hours.

“That sounds fantastic,” George said through the bond, discreetly rubbing the back of Harrison’s hand.

“And we will do our best to make sure you get it, okay?” Fred added, quickly giving his leg a brief squeeze.

“But for now, you have to make it through the sentencing.”

Harrison just sighed.

 

For all of the hype surrounding the sentencing, Harrison was shocked at the process.

They gave no information regarding the charges that the ‘accused’ had admitted to, or what he could have possibly blamed on someone else, even under the effects of veritaserum. What most people don’t realise, is that veritaserum didn’t necessarily guarantee fact, but merely what the drinker believed to be fact.

In the end, it was decided that Ronald Billius Weasley would be sent to the Isles Detention Center, more commonly referred to as Azkaban Junior, until his twentieth birthday. Furthermore, there would be magic dampening cuffs (not blockers, as they could have detrimental effects on one’s magical core if used for too long), allowing him to feel his magic, but not access it. The cuffs would be removed when he was released, and be replaced with heavily enchanted monitor cuffs, that would act similar to a muggle ankle monitor, with the added benefit of being able to record the last three hundred spells casted by the wearer. The new cuffs would be removed when he was twenty-five, but only if he followed the strict regulations of the ministry’s parole board for the full five years. During those five years, Ronald would have to be ‘sponsored’ by a family member or someone willing to hire as well as house him. There would be monthly check-ins with a ministry approved mind healer.

If after all of that, Ronald was cleared by the mind healer, didn’t break any of the rules, and was employed for the duration of his probationary period, his wand would be returned and his record expunged.

Harrison rolled his eyes, furious that the punishment was so lenient, but refrained from causing a scene.

“Do you, Ronald Billius Weasley, understand your punishment as it has been explained to you?” Madam Bones asked icily.

To that, Harrison was shocked. Where the hell was Ron? Craning his neck, he noticed a blob of bright orange hair moving.

Apparently, Ron had been hunkered so far down into his seat that he was practically kneeling on the floor.

Ron looked at his public defender, who nodded, before speaking. “Yes, ma’am.” He immediately slumped back down in his seat, as if attempting to merge with the unforgiving wooden chair.

“Aurors Michaels, Travers, Tonks and Hill,” Amelia said sternly, shooting looks of disgust at Ron. “Place the dampening cuffs on Prisoner Weasley and escort him to the IDC.”

The aforementioned aurors nodded in compliance and roughly hefted Ron out of his seat. The only one that wasn’t happy with the situation was Auror Tonks, but she snapped the cuffs closed regardless.

 

An hour later, Harrison was blissed out, lying back on George in the bathtub while Fred skipped off to the kitchens to get them some lunch.

Despite the softness of the flannel, Harrison stopped George from scrubbing his bump further. It was fine at first, but George had been at it so long that Harrison’s skin was becoming irritated. While George had gently scrubbed him from head to toe, he kept unconsciously moving back to the bump that housed his unborn child.

“Sorry, love,” George said sheepishly. “I think… seeing you like this… it’s finally becoming real, you know? I mean, I knew that you were pregnant, but this is… Merlin, we really are going to be parents.”

Harrison felt the happiness and wonder coming from the elder twin, along with the tinge of fear. “I’m not worried about it. I already know you and Freddie will be wonderful fathers.” Keeping the bond open, but hiding his own thoughts from it, Harrison was terrified. Not only was he most likely having twins (Twins!), which he still hadn’t told Fred or George about, but he was utterly convinced that he couldn’t be a good fa-mother to anyone. What did he know about children? Hell, what did he know about parents? Sure, he had them now, but he didn’t know how to take care of a child, as he hadn’t been taken care of as a child.

Sighing, Harrison climbed out of the tub and waved his hand, drying them both. Putting on a pair of soft cotton sleep pants and one of Fred’s t-shirts, he crawled into bed.

The world could be dealt with tomorrow because, for now, Harrison was content to ignore it for a few hours.

Notes:

Damn guys, this chapter did Not want to be written. I know it's a bit short, but I have some juicy things coming up soon, so that should make up for it and then some!
Thoughts, comments, concerns? Let's hear them!

Chapter 18

Notes:

Yes, I know that a few people tried to read chapter 18 earlier. That was a screw up on my part. I uploaded chapter 7 of my other story to this one by mistake. Here's chapter 18 for this story!

“Finally decided to grace us with your illustrious presence?”

Harrison rolled his eyes and cast a breath freshening charm on himself. Choosing to ignore Professor Yoseferia, he dropped his bag at one of the available seats in the back of the room. Even with the anti-nausea potions, he was still feeling queasy, hence his lateness. He certainly wasn’t going to tell her that.

“Up here,” Yoseferia said sternly. “Bring your things.”

Forcing himself not to scoff, he grabbed his bag and trudged to the front of the room. There were no available seats, so he just stood there, pointedly looking at the occupied seats.

“Where am I meant to sit?” Harrison asked grudgingly. He often refused to speak in this class, lest he say something to Yoseferia that might result in his expulsion. The curriculum was so backwards that it took all of his control to keep from exploding.

For weeks now, the ‘professor’ had been droning on about the usefulness of diversionary tactics in one-on-one combat. That in itself sounded fine, but the practical lessons were another story. Yoseferia was having them, as fifth years, learning what Harrison could only describe as prank spells. The week previous, the beady eyed bastard had them grow out each other's eyebrows to the point that they obscured the other’s vision.

This type of magic was exceedingly simple, and would have been fine for first years to learn, so that their attacker could be startled enough to give the child time to run and get actual help, but what the hell was the point of this at their age?

“You won’t be.” Yoseferia said snidely. “Your classmates arrived on time, and have seats. You were late, and as such, you will not be afforded the same luxury. You’ll stand.”

Harrison bit the inside of his cheek to keep his temper in check.

“Yes, Mr. Malfoy?”

Looking over, Harrison saw Draco put his hand down.

“As this lesson is meant to be book work, how is Potter meant to complete anything?” Draco’s tone was bored, but anyone who knew him noticed the anger in his eyes. Having defence twice a week, the students knew that the first class was always book work, just as the second was always a practical lesson.
It was pretty much the only thing that made sense, as far as her teaching skills were concerned.

“Oh, how silly of me,” she said, barely containing the sarcasm. Yoseferia picked up her own spindly legged podium and thunked it down in front of Harrison, who sneered. “There you go. Oh, it’s a bit too tall, isn’t it?”

Harrison glared at her silently. He didn’t need to be reminded that he was so much shorter than most people, women included. The unsteady podium came up to his shoulders and was almost flat, forcing him, if he were to use the offensive thing, to get on his tiptoes to write anything.

Before he could adjust it to the proper size, Yoseferia took the choice from him, casting a shrinking charm on the awkward podium.

“There we are. Perfect.” She said, now ignoring him in favour of getting the class on track.

Keeping precious hold of his magic became increasingly difficult as he stared down at the podium. The bit-witch hadn’t just made it shorter, but the surface also shrank, giving him just enough to put his book on it… as long as he didn’t open the damn thing. It was now hip-height and all but useless. Still, he remained silent.

What was it about this blasted school that attracted so many head-cases to the Defence position? It was madness! It didn’t matter, as the school year was nearly over, and like all the others, Yoseferia wouldn’t be there next year. Not that Harrison would either. All he had to do was hold out for another six weeks or so. Besides, Yoseferia was basically just a watered down version of Snape, and he’d dealt with the real deal for four and a half years. He could last another six weeks with the diluted (and deluded) version.

With no other option, Harrison knelt at the humiliating podium and got to work.

 

The next few days were blessedly boring, but the end of the last class on Friday was fast approaching and Harrison was a walking bundle of nerves. He had his first appointment with his mum’s private healer for his first checkup. Twelve weeks was apparently a big deal.

George and Fred were all but vibrating in excitement, the closer the appointment drew, but Harrison was terrified. He knew that he was being stupid, as the twins would happily make up for any deficiencies that he had as a parent, but logic did next to nothing as far as dampening his fear of being an abysmal parent.

“I want two feet on practical uses of all three of the charms we’ve gone over this week, and none from the book! Use your brains! They need exercise too!” Professor Flitwick squeaked out before dismissing them.

Fred and George were waiting at the door to his mum’s private rooms, bouncing on the balls of their feet.

“There you are!” They called out, buzzing with energy and half-dragged him inside.

He snorted, but allowed the manhandling. “Calm down,” he said, rolling his eyes as the door shut behind them. “The healer won’t be here for another forty-five minutes.”

Flopping down on his mum’s settee, he patted the seats on either side. As soon as they took the offered spots, Harrison swung his legs up on George’s lap and laid his head on Fred’s. He let his arm dangle on the floor to feel out where everyone was. Draco was on his way, with Angelina in tow. His mum was wrapping up his classroom for the weekend… and Lucius was walking toward it.

“I hadn’t expected L-dad to be here,” Harrison mused.

“Why not?” Bella asked, as she shifted out of her tiny dog form. She stretched dramatically and rubbed her face. “Your dad loves you. There’s nothing in the world that would stop him from seeing this.”

“I know,” he said tiredly. “I just wasn’t- someone’s flooing in.” He sat up quickly, keeping an eye on the fireplace, not willing to take any chances.

The merrily burning fire turned green and out stepped Lily.

“Oh…?” Great way to start a conversation, Harrison. “Erm, hi… What are you… Mum’s not back yet… I mean, Sev-”

George clapped his hand over Harrison’s mouth, embarrassed for him, and forced himself not to laugh at the awkwardness. “So you’re the second mother in law?” He asked goodnaturedly. “Pleasure to meet anyone that had a hand in bringing our little Harrikins into the world. Thanks for that.”

Rolling his eyes, Fred stood and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Fred and this prat is George.”

Lily burst out laughing. “I like you two already.” She took a look around and squealed like a maniac when she saw Bellatrix.

They hugged and babbled to each other until the door opened.

Severus strode in and swept her up in a heated embrace.

Harrison made a point to stare at his hands, folded in his lap. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do in front of this woman, or how he was supposed to act. Luckily, he didn’t have to do much of anything, as the attention of everyone was (thankfully) not on him.

“Not again! Get a room!” Draco said loudly, making his girlfriend blush and elbow him.

“Be quiet,” Angelina hissed. “It’s romantic, you berk.”

Again? When had Draco seen them together? He’d been at the castle the whole time, hadn’t he? Granted, Harrison had isolated himself for most of last weekend, so it was entirely possible that Draco was able to pop out for a visit without him realising it.

“Lovely to see you, Lily.” Draco kissed the red head’s hand, ever the epitome of grace.

“How are you, Draco?” She asked, smiling broadly. “And this beauty must be Angelina!”

Harrison, at a complete loss, just watched the cheerful (ahem borderline mental ahem) interactions between everyone. How the hell were they so close and happy so quickly? Draco didn’t like anybody, and now he was buddying up to a muggleborn he’d just met, like they’d been best friends for years? It just didn’t make sense.

He pushed the thoughts aside and backed away from the crowd. There were too many people in too small of a space. Out of everyone here, he’d only expected George, Fred, Bella and his mum to stay for the scan. He wasn’t comfortable enough with the rest of them to involve them in something so deeply personal.

“Got room for a few more in here?”

Harrison looked up to see Sirius and Remus step out of the floo with Narcissa and Arthur just behind. What the hell was going on? He understood that they all needed time together, but did they have to use his appointment as an impromptu family reunion? As selfish as it sounded, this day wasn’t about any of them. He didn’t necessarily want it to be about him either, but that was just the way it was supposed to be, wasn’t it?

Fred slid off the sofa and wrapped him in a loose embrace. “Are you alright?” He asked quietly.

“Of course,” he lied in return. He hated how easy it was for him to lie to his own husband, but since they kept the bond half-blocked at all times, no one could tell the difference. Partially blocking the bond was more for their sanity than secrecy. They could still share emotions, thoughts and speak through the bond with ease, but now they didn’t have to deal with every single fleeting thought or emotion. Harrison honestly believed that it was the only reason he hadn’t completely lost his mind.

The flicker of concern and curiosity was met by reassurance.

Harrison gave Fred’s hand a quick squeeze, glad for the silent support. “I know they’re our family, but why in Merlin’s name did they all show up? Who invited them?”

“Believe it or not, I think your mum is the one that let slip about the appointment.”

“How much longer till the Healer shows up?”

“Should be any minute now, love.”

 

It was not, in fact, any minute. The blasted Healer was late! It was nearing six now, and the appointment was set for five o’clock.

By six thirty, Harrison got up and was about to leave when the floo flared to life, spitting out an angry looking woman in horrid green robes. The robes that the Healers of St. Mungo’s wore.

“Why the devil was your floo blocked, Severus?!” The annoyed woman demanded. “I’ve been trying to get through since five!”

Severus, who was still hanging on Lily, laughing at something that someone had said, merely blinked. “It wasn’t blocked, Rhiannon. I left it open for the appointment.”

The woman, Rhiannon, raised her brow, unconvinced. “Clearly.” She let out a huff. “Who’s the lucky mum-to-be?”

Harrison lifted his hand weakly. Dear Merlin, this is it. He approached the Healer, dodging and weaving through the ridiculous number of ‘guests’, his heart thudding like an entire drumline.

Some of the conversations tapered off immediately, but some apparently had to be finished first.

“Alrighty, then,” she said, patting the small conjured seat. “Hop on up.” The seat was a chair that had an angled back, so that he was slightly reclined.

What? “We’re doing this here? On a chair?” Weren’t they supposed to be in a private room with a bed?

“Naturally,” she said, as if he were the mad one. “Now hop up and we’ll get a good look at that baby.”

Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, Harrison inched forward and pushed himself up onto the tall chair.

She looked at him closely for a minute. “I’ll need you to remove all magical objects from your person, including but not limited to, portkeys, amulets, glamours, and anything made of magically imbued fabrics.”

“No,” Harrison said flatly.

“I won’t be able to get an accurate reading otherwise,” she explained, overly annunciating her words.

All of his clothes were magically imbued, so he was not going to strip down completely in a room full of people! And without his glamours? Not a snowflake’s chance in hell. His own husbands don’t even see him without the glamours. “Only if the room is cleared.” He said firmly. Then the arguments sprang up from the occupants, and he shook his head. “Then I’m sorry to have wasted your time. Excuse me.” His tone never drifted from polite, but he did choose to ignore their astonished faces as he climbed off the awkward chair.

“Harrison!”

He turned to see his brother jogging after him, the twins on his heels. “I’m not going back in there.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “I’m not that stupid. I just want to know what the hell happened.”

Feeling the subtle nudging from the bond, Harrison sighed. “I’m not getting naked in front of all those people.”

“Those people?” Draco prompted, his pale brow lifted. “You mean your family?”

“Yes!” He hissed. “Those people!” With that, he continued his way down the corridor.

“You still haven’t figured it out yet, have you?” Draco asked incredulously. “You like to pretend that you have it all worked out, that you understand how everything works. You’re this supposedly legendary beacon of hope, so magically charged that you make Merlin weak? You don’t know anything. Why the hell are you pushing us all away? What was that stunt, back there? ‘Sorry to have wasted your time’?! Utter thestral shite!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Draco.” Harrison said lowly. “Now, get out of my way.”

“And you don’t know the first thing about family.” Draco snapped.

“Who said I did?!” Harrison replied angrily. “It certainly wasn’t me!”

Draco scoffed. “You know, all these years we’ve known each other, I never actually believed the things I said about you. Now though? I honestly can’t believe I was right about you. Poor Potty, always that martyr. Always the victim. How could someone who proclaims to put everyone else first, be so bloody selfish?!”

Harrison couldn’t do anything but stare at the blond in disbelief. Is that honestly what Draco thought of him? What kind of ridiculous alternate world did he step into, where Draco was accusing him of being selfish? In what bloody world was he selfish? Not wanting to strip nude in front of a room full of people was selfish? Wanting to hide his disfigured form was selfish? How?

“Piss off, Draco,” Harrison said tiredly. “I’m not dealing with this right now.”

“Of course you’re not. You don’t actually deal with anything! You keep pushing things off, but I’ve noticed something you probably haven’t. By pushing things off, you’re not doing anything! What have you done lately? Didn’t you have all these big plans? Changing everything? What have you done since the arrest of your ex-friends? I don’t think anything has changed at all. I think you’re getting off on causing all of these problems-”

“Draco.”

The single word was spoken quietly, but he might as well have screamed it in their faces.

Draco himself paled, despite his ordinarily ghostly pallor.

Harrison turned to face Lucius who, beneath the ever-present mask, was angry. “Let us adjourn to a less public space.”

Less public? Nearly everyone in the castle was in the Great Hall, having supper. Harrison mentally rolled his eyes and gestured toward the Slytherin dorms. His room was plenty private, if owls couldn’t even get through. “We can talk in here. No one can get through the wards without my explicit consent.”

Lucius felt the light, barely there, shimmer of old magic as he crossed the threshold into the room of Salazar Slytherin himself.

“Eppie!” Harrison called out.

The elf herself never appeared, but a full tea service was set out with slightly more substantial options than usual.

“Thank you,” he said, knowing the elf could somehow hear his words. “Have a seat.” Pouring himself a cup of peppermint tea, he relaxed into his favourite chair.

“Do you want us to come back to the room?” George asked, concern flitting through the bond.

“Not yet,” Harrison replied wearily. “I think I’m about to be scolded like a five year old. I’ll let you know if I need you.”

“Okay, love,” Fred said reassuringly. “We’ll talk after the blond invasion leaves.”

“Sounds good. See you in a bit.”

“Draco, I believe I shall address your behaviour first.” Lucius crossed his legs and prepared his own tea. “Shouting in a public setting, as I have told you throughout your childhood, is always unacceptable. Shouting about personal, familial issues however, is much worse. Doing so, as a form of attack, is considerably worse. To top it off, the person you were attacking, even verbally, is currently carrying your nephew. Need I continue?”

“No, sir.” Draco said stiffly.

“Good. We will discuss your punishment at a later time. Go to your dorm.” That was obviously not a suggestion, as he turned from Draco to Harrison.

Chapter 19

Notes:

This chapter fought with me a bit, and there didn't seem to be any good cutoff spots for the chapter. I apologize in advance.
Also, it picks up immediately after the last chapter.

"Let’s get this over with," Harrison muttered miserably.

“Harrison,” Lucius said calmly. Seeing the look on his son’s face, he held up his hands, as a universal sign of surrender. “I’m not going to shout at you. I was simply hoping you could tell me what happened back there.”

Running a hand over his face, Harrison groaned. “Look, I don’t know why the h- er, why everyone was there, but I was not going to strip in front of them.”

Lucius blinked. “I believe there has been a bit of miscommunication going on here.” He let out a slow breath. “The family gathering was traditional, as it is essentially a party to welcome the next generation of the family line. It should have been up to your husbands to arrange, but Severus seems to have taken it upon himself to issue the invitations. I am not surprised that your twins were unaware, as they were not brought up under wizarding traditions, and are forgivable under the circumstances. Your mother, on the other hand, should have at least consulted you on the matter.”

“Er, I don’t quite understand. Siri is further than I am, but I didn’t go to his scan.”

“That is because he has decided to postpone.” Lucius picked up a scone, but put it down after a single bite. “What the hell was that?”

Harrison leaned forward in confusion. Eppie had never supplied him with anything less than perfection before. He bit down on one of the offending scones and groaned in delight. “Mmmm, raspberry and pickles. I think those are for me. Anyway, why would he postpone the scan?”

At that, Lucius smiled. “He is waiting for you, Draco and your twins to be able to attend.”

“Oh,” Harrison muttered guiltily.

“As for stripping nude,” Lucius actually rolled his eyes. “If you had mentioned being uncomfortable, Severus could have let you borrow something. He wears a lot of non-magically imbued cotton. You still would have been covered. From your neck to your ankles if you’d borrowed one of his nightshirts.”

“Well, someone could have said something!” Harrison was severely annoyed. Why had no one told him all of this? Sure, if the twins didn’t know the traditions as his dad suspected, then it was entirely understandable. But what about his mum? “So mum threw a party, didn’t tell me, sent out invitations, still didn’t tell me, and when they started showing up in droves, still didn’t say a thing? He just expected me to go along with it? Has he met me? I bloody hate large gatherings! Even during that stupid, mandatory ball last year, I went through a single dance and hid for the rest of the night! I don’t think I ever apologised to my date for that.”

“Getting back on track,” Lucius said, smirking in amusement. “Yes, he should have spoken to you. I will be taking him aside after I leave here, so you needn’t worry.”

“I just hate that no matter how much I read, or how much time I spend trying to immerse myself into the proper culture, I still can’t get it right.” Harrison sighed, forcing his tears back. “Am I ever going to be able to figure any of this rubbish out?”

“Just breathe, Harrison,” Lucius said calmly. “You will get these things. It will just take time. We can have lessons this summer, if you would like. You, me and your twins, as I believe it may be necessary for them as well. They can be as often as needed. I am sure you would have an astonishing amount of familial support, given the so-called ‘droves’ of people currently in your mother’s quarters.”

“Okay,” Harrison agreed. It sounded perfectly reasonable, and he wished he’d thought of it. “I… I have another problem…” his voice trailed off shakily.

Lucius, seeing the look of misery on his youngest son’s face, moved closer, kneeling on the floor. “What is it?” He took Harrison’s hand in his own and squeezed it reassuringly.

“I can’t take off the glamours.” He shook his head, ashamed of himself. He knew it was a weakness, and he’d never been particularly vain, but he was human in the end. “The twins haven’t even seen what I really look like!”

With a startled gasp, Lucius caught his now sobbing child and hugged him tightly. “Here is what we’ll do, if you are comfortable with it. I will send the twins here, so that you can show them what you look like without glamours, in a private setting. Before you object, I would like to remind you of something. You have been married for twelve weeks, and they haven’t seen your true face. And if you recall, nearly all of us have seen you without them already. I believe the only ones who haven’t are the twins, Lily and Draco.”

“And-” Harrison hiccoughed. “And Angeli- lina.”

“Who still falls into the category of friend and/or family, yes?” Lucius asked, pulling back to get a good look at his son’s blotchy face. “And because they are family, do you truly believe that a single one of them will love you any less?”

Harrison shook his head, trying to steady his shaking breath. “Do… do you really think it won’t change anyone’s opinion of me?” He asked in disbelief. “The supposed Hero, who can’t even defend himself against an out of shape muggle? What about that Healer?”

“Of course it won’t! They loved you before, and they’ll love you after. That will never change.” Lucius said vehemently. “And, what about Rhiannon?”

“Why was she even called? I have a Healer that I’m comfortable with, and I’m not particularly fond of how unprofessional that Rhiannon was. Blaming the floo connection for being over an hour late? There’s nothing wrong with the floo. I checked, and it was fine. Even if there was a problem, what was stopping her from going to one of the shops at Hogsmeade? There’s always carriages ready by the gate.” Harrison wiped away the lingering tear tracks on his slender cheeks, feeling foolish for his outburst. “She could have at least used a better excuse.”

Pausing in thought, Lucius eventually nodded in agreement. “I will take care of it. Now, will you let me send the twins down? And perhaps, your brother and Lily?”

He sighed. “I think I’d rather punch Draco than see him at the moment. As for Lily, she’s a complete stranger. I don’t- I’m not…”

“It’s alright, Harrison,” Lucius said soothingly.

Groaning, he flopped back in his seat. “I’ll get the twins and leave you to fetch, and preferably muzzle, the ferret.”

“Just them?” Lucius asked, brow raised.

“If I can’t show my true face to my own husbands, what makes you think I’ll be able to show a complete stranger?” Harrison was far from amused. He might have spent the better part of his life wishing for the miraculous return of his mother, but there was something about her that just rubbed him the wrong way. Despite not understanding, it didn't mean that he was going to go against his instincts. They had saved his life too many times to count, and he was not going to ignore that now.

He had Dobby take a note to Thortac, briefly explaining the situation, but omitting a few of the… less necessary bits. There was no reason for her to know about the fact that he’d sobbed all over his father like a little girl.

“Can you both come down here?” Rather than blocking his unease, as he normally would, he let some of it trickle through the bond. In return he felt faint worry when they confirmed. He was glad neither of them asked what was wrong, because he only wanted to say it once.

 

When Draco, Fred and George finally arrived, Harrison was pacing. It was the only thing keeping him from having a panic attack, thinking about what he was about to do.

He cleared his throat, willing himself calm. “There’s something I have to say, and it’s not something I’ve ever really talked about. Not just with you, but anyone. The othe- the family knows, but not by choice.” He rolled his eyes. Why the hell had he said that? He was starting to understand why women complained about being pregnant. The hormones were a bloody nightmare. “Look, long story short, I am covered head to toe in scars. I wear full body glamours at all times. That’s mostly why I refused to let that Healer scan me.”

Fred jumped out of his seat. “Love, we don’t care about-”

“I know,” Harrison said, a weary smile on his lips. “That was never a question for me. Not really. It was me. The first time I’d ever glamoured myself, I didn’t even know what happened. One minute I was staring at this massive bruise on my neck in the mirror, and the next minute, it looked perfectly normal. I didn’t understand how the bruise was gone, or how it still hurt. The only thing I did know was that because that mark was gone, I was able to go to school that day, to escape my uncle. Even if it was only for a few hours.”

“How old were you?” George asked through the bond. His jaw was clenched too tightly to ask aloud.

“I was six.” There was no point in lying, not anymore. “So, since the three of you are here, and you’re going to see it soon anyway, I’ve decided that I have to show you what I actually look like.” Part of him, at least. Harrison willed away the glamours that covered his arms and face. And closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see their initial reactions. It might not be the most mature mindset, but he couldn’t bring himself to give a damn.

He jerked back when something cool touched his face, and his eyes flew open.

Fred cupped his cheek gently. “You know,” he began playfully, shifting a black lock aside to stare intently at his husband’s eyes. “The black on this side just makes the green on the other side that much brighter.”

“You are such a git!” He chuckled, playfully swatting at Fred’s arm. Peeking over the redhead’s shoulder, he saw his brother, sitting stiffly in his seat, unblinking.

“Draco?” Harrison asked, slightly worried for his brother. It wasn’t possible to sit that still and be conscious, was it?

“Alright,” he said eventually. The blond stood and promptly walked out of the room.

Staring after him in confusion, Harrison looked at his husbands. “What the hell was that?”

George, as silent as ever, just held him close.

The waves of muffled fury coming from the bond, for some reason, made Harrison feel warm and protected. Blinking, he snapped himself out of his unusually emotional state. “Okay, okay,” he muttered to himself. “Enough of the girly emotions already!”

“Yeah, no more teary eyes,” George finally said, a wicked glint in his eye. “I’d like to see a different symptom, and I’m sure Fred here agrees.”

Rolling his eyes, Harrison raised his brow. “And what symptom is that?”

“Constant randiness,” he replied, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “That’s one I can fully get behind.”

“You’re hopeless,” he said, shaking his head. A ping pulled his attention. “Oh, Thortac is here.”

“What for, love?” Fred asked lightly, dragging his gaze from his husband’s eyes.

“So she can do the scans,” Harrison replied, slipping out of the room before they could react. He didn’t need to cast the glamours, as he used his bedroom door to connect directly to his mum’s quarters.

Chapter 20

Notes:

Guys, I'm really sorry. The six weeks or so since I've posted on this story have been a bit hellish. My house was completely trashed by people I let stay with me and now I have to replace ALL of my furniture (which I can't afford to do rn). I'm having scheduling problems at work, which is getting me into serious hot water (I have witnesses to back me up, but I might still lose my job of 6 1/2 years). And, to top it off, one of my aunts just passed away. Really sorry to vent like this, but I apologize if this isn't the greatest chapter.

Lucius, Severus and Lily were off in a corner, as far from everyone else as possible, and seemed to be having a rather heated conversation. They were behind privacy wards, so their words never left the bubble of magic.

Sirius, Remus and Bella were on one of the settees, talking quietly.

Draco and Angelina were standing in silence by the fireplace. She had a look of concern on her face as she held his hand tightly.

Uncomfortable as ever, Harrison cleared his throat, gaining the attention of all of the room’s occupants.

When they all began talking loudly over one another, save for Draco and Angelina, he took a step back in surprise. He didn’t quite understand his surprise, as he knew them to be an animated bunch, but he had to remind himself that it was because they cared. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to speak. “First off, I’m sorry. As L-dad said to me a bit ago, if I’d said what my problem was, it would have been taken care of. I know I shouldn’t have run. So, now that I’m a bit more prepared-” and bloody well informed “-I’ve asked my Healer to come, and she is on her…” Harrison blinked owlishly as one of the portraits alerted him to a disturbance.

“Harrison, I-”

“Hang on,” he said, politely cutting off his mum. Shifting his vision to accommodate the portraits was a difficult feat, one that had taken several weeks to grow accustomed to, but he had managed it eventually. He saw Thortac coming up to the main entrance, but McGonagal was rounding the corner just as the doors granted his Healer entry.

(In split vision)

Professor McGonagall blinked at Thortac in surprise. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Standing tall and proud, as only a goblin can, she sneered. “I am Thortac, Healer and sister to His Majesty. One of my charges has requested my assistance on a private matter.”

McGonagall sniffed, eyeing Thortac with mistrust. “Who is your charge, goblin?”

Harrison’s brow knit. Why was she being so harsh?

“That knowledge is only shared by consent of my charge, not demand of a third party.” Thortac looked bored with the conversation, despite its miniscule length.

Harrison felt the twins nearing the Entrance Hall and nodded to himself. They would take care of it.

Snapping back to singular vision, he blinked. He still wasn’t used to doing that. “Sorry, I was just checking something,” he said to his family. “Thortac will be here in a moment.”

“While you were off in Lala Land,” Remus began goodnaturedly, holding a bundle of cloth. “Lucius said you wanted this?”

Accepting the bundle, Harrison realised it was a long, cotton nightshirt. While it was supposed to be a mid-shin length, he knew it would go down to his ankles at least. His mum was quite a bit taller than himself. Magically swapping his clothes with a flick of his hand, he took a seat on the arm of the settee, next to Bella. The nightshirt brushed the tops of his feet.

She leaned on his arm and took his hand. “Exciting, isn’t it, Bunny?”

“Exciting?” He parroted, eyes wide. “I may vomit.”

Severus was by his side in a flash. “Do you need a stomach soother? Or an anti-nausea potion?”

He huffed a short laugh. “It’s just nerves, mum.”

An awkward silence filled the room, which was only broken by the creak of an opening door.

There was talking, but Harrison heard none of it, his ears feeling as though they were filled with wool. He absently noted that he was being guided to lie down on the settee that had been vacated at some point.

Keeping his eyes closed wasn’t going to change facts, so he forced his eyes open and focussed on what was being said. But it was quiet.

After what felt like eternity, Thortac broke the silence. “As I suspected. You are having twins. All three of you are healthy, though Harrison should eat more fruit. Your sugar level is slightly under what it should be, and fruit is a good way to remedy that. Do you have any questions?”

Several of the parental figures started talking, but Harrison heard none of it. He had been right. They really were having twins. Twins! The thought of one child was enough to spike his anxiety, but twins?! What the hell were they going to do with twins?

“Love them and care for them,” Fred said soothingly, carding his fingers through Harrison’s hair.

“And teach them all kinds of naughty things like putting time-delay potions in someone’s shampoo to turn their hair funny colours.” George added with a grin.

“And nice things too!” Fred said quickly, looking away from Severus’ annoyed gaze. “Like sharing, and being helpful and respectful.”

“To everyone!” George proclaimed, seeing Severus’ face. “From homeless muggles to the most uppity Slytherins!”

Harrison couldn’t help himself as he began to laugh and soon, everyone was joining in. Except Thortac, but he wasn’t sure she knew how to laugh. Griphook, he’d managed to make laugh, but he couldn’t remember her doing anything more than smirk.

Apparently not everyone was amused, despite his earlier thought, as a voice cut through the lighthearted chuckles.

“What part of this is funny?!”

Every pair of eyes locked on Lily, sans Harrison’s as he sighed and closed his own.

“Lily,” Lucius began, almost sounding nervous. “I know you were unable to be here, which no one blames you for, but we have already had numerous discussions about this. What’s done is done, and there is nothing that any of us can do to change it.”

“Of course there is!” Lily said, eyes wide in disbelief. “He’s too young to have kids! He doesn’t know the first thing about being a parent!”

“Exactly what do you suggest?” Harrison asked acidly. “Follow in your footsteps and give them away?”

Several people called out, citing his unfairness.

He clenched his jaw and magically silenced them all with a flick of his hand. After a few seconds of shouting in silence, they finally stopped and waited for him to lift the spell. It was only with a small amount of irritation that he relented. “That was unfair?” He asked them, staring each of them down. “Tell me, Lily, where are your children? You seem to spend an awful lot of time here, so where are they?”

Lily paled, even as Severus rolled his eyes and scoffed.

Lucius was quiet, watching her expressions change. “Lily?”

“What?!” She roared, then seeming to realise who she was talking to, shook her head. “Sorry, what?”

“What is he talking about, Lily?”

“Yes, Lily. What am I talking about?” Harrison said in faux curiosity, hiding his fury, and sat up. “I’m quite fond of Lady, though she did kick me in a rather sensitive area. I don’t mind too much, as I’m sure it was an accident. Everything at that age is one accident after another.”

Remaining tight-lipped, Lily glared at Harrison.

“I imagine Adalyn was the most difficult,” Harrison mused aloud. “Thirteen year olds are so tetchy, aren’t they?”

“A thirteen year old kicked you?” Bella asked, seeming hesitant to join the conversation. “Why?”

Harrison laughed. “No, of course not. Adalyn is the eldest, not the only. Alessandra was next. Adalyn said she was eleven, Amara was five and the little Lady- sorry, Adelaide, was just under a year old. Did I get that right?” He remembered everything about that awkward conversation. How could he forget?

Every jaw in the room dropped, and Harrison felt a little bit guilty. Not because of Lily, but the girls. Adalyn had hinted that Lily might not have been willing in all of tha-

“He told me that you two were dead!” She yelled, her face pinched. “What was I supposed to do? Mourn forever?”

“Thirteen years old?” Severus asked, clearly hurt. “That would mean that… you were either pregnant when you were kidnapped, or immediately after.”

“I thought you were dead!” Lily shouted, her flaming red hair whipping around. “So, yes, I took comfort where I could! I will not be shamed for that!”

Lucius, who cared deeply for her, was not as close to her as Severus was, and had no issue with questioning her. “How long?”

Lily stopped, a look of confusion on her face. “How long, what?”

“How long did it take, after hearing of our false deaths, did you… seek comfort elsewhere?” Lucius was a veritable statue, he stood so still.

“Who cares?” Lily asked, bewildered. “As far as I knew, I was a widow!”

“And yet,” Severus began, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Even under the effects of numerous memory altering spells, neither of us strayed.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Lily demanded. “You might have stayed celibate, but I seem to recall you telling me that Lucius spent the last fourteen years married to Cissy! I don’t call that celibacy!”

“The spell was not put into place until after Draco was born, giving the illusion that we had been wed for quite some time. I had my heir, and thus, no need nor desire to touch her.” Lucius did not wear the same mask of betrayal as Severus, but he was clearly disappointed.

Guilt squirmed in Harrison’s gut. He hadn’t meant to cause issues between them, but at the same time, his mum and dad had a right to know that their wife had several children, spanning fourteen years of infidelity. Right? Okay, yes, he’d chosen a very public setting for the revelation to come out, but it wasn’t deliberate… right?

Fred ran his fingers through Harrison’s hair, reminding Remus and Sirius of the times one of them had been in their canine forms and the other petting their fur. It was further cemented when they saw Harrison lean into the contact like a sad little puppy.

“Of course you should stay, sweetheart,” Bella said softly, the tense silence of the room allowing her to be heard easily. “You’ll be family soon enough, so there’s no need for you to leave.”

Angelina blinked at the formerly insane convict, shock plain on her face.

Draco raised his brow at his aunt-turned-godmother. “Who told you?”

“Oh, Merlin.” Harrison’s eyes widened. “Is she pregnant too? Mum and Dad are going to kill Draco and I.”

“Who's pregnant?” George asked, not realising he’d spoken aloud, rather than through the bond as he’d intended.

“Gah!” Angelina said, crinkling her nose. “No! Are you mad? What would I do with a child?! I’m only se-” she looked at Harrison and snapped her jaw shut.

“Daddy dearest might have let it slip…” Bella shrugged, but leaned closer to Draco and stage-whispered for all to hear. “After you asked for the family bonding ring, Luce might have gotten into the mead and blabbed, not that he remembers much of that night.”

The awkward silence that fell over them like a lead blanket, was broken by Harrison. “Congratulations, you guys!” He was happy for them, but he was also relieved that he was no longer the centre of attention… nor were his fighting parents.

 

A week and half later found Harrison and his family back at the ministry. With all of the drama that had been unfolding lately, a few of them (namely Harrison, Draco and Severus) had forgotten the upcoming trial of ‘Ginervy Weasel’.

Harrison, with two anti-nausea potions in his system, still had a queasy stomach. He was subtly led to his seat by a hovering Fred. Mentally rolling his eyes at his husband’s attentiveness, he merely sighed and propped his chin on Fred’s shoulder.

George took a seat on the other side and held his hand.

Severus, upon close inspection, was not faring well. He had dark, bruise-like bags under his eyes. To his family, it looked like the man had slept in his clothes and pitched himself immediately into the floo, without so much as a cup of tea or a freshening charm.

It took Draco gently elbowing him to get his attention. “Here,” he whispered, handing over a small phial of liquid. “Drink it.”

Watching with a bit of concern, Harrison saw his mum upend the phial without even a glance at its contents. What was that about? Even after all the purging, Severus was always on guard. He wouldn’t even touch anything in the Great Hall without scanning it first, but now he was drinking unknown potions without hesitation?

He narrowed his eyes at the few drops of potion that remained at the bottom of the phial. Draught of Peace. His shoulders slumped in relief, which he immediately chastised himself for. It wasn’t as though Draco was going to poison the man. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time that someone used less than pleasant means to gain close access to one of his family members. Or himself.

As the room began to fill, he noted that the stands were packed. It seemed that they were expecting some kind of insanity and wanted to be able to see it firsthand. Some things weren’t as good, merely reading about them after the fact, and apparently everyone wanted to be a witness to the possibility of scandal and drama.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity and a half, Madam Amelia Bones was introduced. It was about bloody time!

Notes:

Let me know what you guys would like to see within the next few chapters. I have a basic (Very basic) outline for the plot, but not much else.

Chapter 21

Notes:

Sorry, I know this isn't the plot-iest chapter to ever happen, but I should be able to get into some of the good stuff for the next one.

“Aurors, please bring in the accused,” Amelia Bones said, barely suppressing a sad sigh.

Harrison watched as Ginny was escorted into the room, wrists and ankles bound in wrought iron chains. As he watched, Ginny seemed to realise that she was being stared at by every person in the room and smiled up at them and straightened her posture proudly.

“She is completely mental.”

The wave of hurt that washed over Harrison made his head swim. Rather than try to calm them with the bond, he simply grabbed his husbands’ hands and squeezed, in what he hoped was a comforting manner.

“Daddy? Daddy!” Ginny screamed as she attempted to get to the ageing redhead. “Daddy, you have to help me! I don’t know what’s going on! I haven’t done anything wrong! You have to believe me!”

Arthur, for his part, merely watched the girl struggle, silent tears running down toward his collar. It was clear that he was going to watch in silence as the Wizengamot decided her fate.

Unable to imagine what the man was feeling, Harrison summoned (how bad were the wards? At least Gringotts wards gave him a little bit of a struggle) one of his enhanced calming draughts, and magicked half of it into the elder redhead’s stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, Harrison saw the man relax marginally, his shoulders lowering to their natural state.

The aurors were ignoring Ginny’s actions and activated the chains that would keep her in place without injury. It didn’t stop her from yanking on the restraints wrapped around her wrists and ankles like a lunatic.

“I am so glad we died before that child could call either of us ‘Uncle’.”

Harrison, not giving a damn about subtlety, turned and was mildly surprised to see Gideon and Fabian Prewett sandwiching Regulus between them, each holding one of his hands, about four rows back. Not knowing the elder ginger twins as well as his own, had no idea which was which. It didn’t bother him, as he’d never actually held a conversation with either of them. He was sure he’d figure it out eventually.

He saw Regulus roll his eyes and gently elbow the twin on his left, and send a wink to Harrison.

For a while, Harrison wondered how long they were together, as they were still able to joke around, even if it was with fond exasperation. How long were they in the trunk before getting together? Better yet, how did they get together? It wasn’t as though they could find any private time to be… private. There were only a few rooms in the trunk, and way too many people to be comfortable. That also begged the question, how did Lily wind up with four children? Where would she have gone to… make them?

Honestly though, Harrison’s main question was about the father. More specifically, who it was. He couldn’t see her sleeping with any of the men that were in the trunk, but she had to, right? True, he didn’t know all of them, but still. Cedric, Regulus, Arthur, Fabian and Gideon were out. That was obvious. Plus Edgar. His wife was held in captivity with them, so Harrison doubted that he was the father. Who else did it leave? That Charlie guy was out, as he was black. His sisters were very much white. Unless there was a spell to change someone’s race, but even then, who would have performed it? They were down there without wands.

“You’re thinking too hard,” George whispered out of the corner of his mouth as the introductions began to wrap up.

“I can’t help it! Everything is still so fucked up!”

Rather than say anything, George just gave his hand a squeeze, letting soothing waves of calm wash over the three of them.

Everyone listened to the opening statements with half an ear. This wasn’t the exciting part, so why should they care about this?

“Your first witness, Barrister Rosen,” Amelia Bones said, not needing to use a sonorous this time. Everyone was going to be on their best behaviour for this.

“Miss Weasley?” The man called Rosen asked, with a nod of his head.

“Yes?” She asked, noticing that the staring had intensified, and beamed.

He paused, looking at Madam Bones with a puzzled look. “Just a moment, if you please.” With that, he approached the bench.

They were whispering back and forth, but they were too far away to hear. Well, that just won’t do.

Harrison wriggled his hand a bit and mentally grinned when he, and only he, could listen in. Well, the twins too, through the bond.

“- twenty minutes ago! I need more time to sort this out!”

“There is no more time. Barrister Hanlan quit this morning. Just do what you can.”

“Madam Bones, this is impossible. I need more than twenty minutes to learn an entire case! For all I can do, that child might as well start her goodbyes now.”

“If we try to reschedule, you’ll have to wait until January. My hands are tied.”

Madam Bones leaned back in her seat. “Proceed, Barrister Rosen.”

Harrison dropped the connection, feeling a tiny amount of guilt. Even with Ginny being one hundred and fifty percent guilty, it was entirely unfair to the barrister. This case was going to affect his career, and he wasn’t prepared for it, through no fault of his own. He didn’t particularly care what it meant for Ginny, but the barrister shouldn’t be punished for whatever that Hanlan character did.

“Miss Weasley,” Barrister Rosen said calmly, making Harrison smirk, impressed with his ability to hide his nerves.

“Yes,” she said attentively, smoothing out some of the wrinkles of her St. Mungo’s patient uniform.

“You have undergone treatment at St. Mungo’s for how long now?”

She paused with a small frown. “I’m not really sure. Since I’ve been arrested, but they didn’t leave a calendar in my room. A few months, if I had to guess.”

“And, in that time, what have you been doing?” Barrister Rosen was making the questioning sound like a regular conversation, and it seemed like Ginny was falling for it.

Harrison mentally nodded his approval. It was probably the only way to get her to talk rationally.

“Well,” Ginny said thoughtfully. “I’ve been talking mostly. Some of the staff there are really nice, and they’re great listeners.”

“That’s good news indeed.” The barrister said in a calm tone. “Was Lord Potter brought up often, during these talks?”

“Oh, yes.” She replied, nodding eagerly.

“Including what transpired between yourself and Lord Potter immediately before your arrest?”

She sighed. “Yes, that too.”

“Could you tell me what happened that night?”

Drumming her fingers on the armrests, she shrugged. “I did what I was told.”

“And, what, my dear, were you told to do?”

“I was told to sleep with Harry. It wasn’t an issue for me, since I’ve been in love with him for years. I wanted to do it, really.”

“Were you not aware that Lord Potter freely admitted the fact that he is a homosexual?”

At that, she let out a breathy giggle. “He’s not a gay. He’s… what’s the word that means he likes girls and boys?”

“Do you mean bisexual?”

“That’s it!” Ginny said, sounding relieved. “He’s bisexual!”

“Very well,” Rosen said. “Can you give me a step by step account of that night, beginning immediately after lunch?”

“Sure,” she said, shrugging. “Ron and Hermione brought me to the entrance of the dungeons, since Harry had potions class. Hermione stunned him six or seven times, but all it did was make him dizzy or something. Ron levitated him to an empty classroom and put him on the floor. Hermione poured a weird potion down his throat and he started thrashing around. Ron kicked him once or twice, and I heard something break. I think it was one of his ribs, but I’m not sure. Anyway, as soon as the potion kicked in, he started complaining about being hot and made it snow. It wasn’t supposed to do that. I read about aphrodisiacs, even taken them, and I never felt like that. The only way to make it stop was to get him off. So, I started to. It wasn’t easy and he just wouldn’t stop thrashing. I was just trying to help him. There was something wrong with Hermimone’s potion. The next thing I know, there’s a snake hissing at me! It crawled right out of his pocket! Somehow, Snape showed up, just as that blasted snake tried to attack me! Snape shoved a bezoar in his mouth and he started throwing up all over the place. After that, I don’t really remember anything until I was arrested.”

Harrison felt sick. She was talking about it so casually, like it was nothing! How could anyone just dismiss the fact that what they’d done was nothing short of sexual assault, attempted line theft and attempted rape?!

“If I may?” The barrister began hesitantly. “You said that you’ve taken aphrodisiacs before. I am curious as to why someone your age has taken them?”

At that, she giggled. “That’s easy. My mum always told me that if you give boys what they want, then they’ll give you what you want. That’s all I was doing.”

“At fourteen?” The man asked incredulously.

“Oh, of course not. Well, once. But I started taking them a few years ago. See, mum told me that sex probably wasn’t going to be fun the first couple of times, and the potions would help. I tried to hold off, but when I realised that I wasn’t acting the way they wanted, I figured out that she was right. With the potions involved, I was able to act as excited as they were. After a while, I learned how to fake it when I needed to, so I stopped taking them.”

The entire room was aghast, but absolutely silent. Harrison could practically hear the wheels turning in their heads as one.

“And you felt the need to perform such acts at what age?”

Lucius could have objected once or twice, but everyone really wanted to hear the mad girl's rants.

"What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Sadly, the gesture was adorable.

"How old were you when your mother first encouraged you to use your body to get things?

"Oh!" She giggled. "That. Um, right before my first year at school." Pausing to think, she nodded. "Yes, it had to be. Mum said she couldn't afford my school books, and that I was too precious to have to use my brothers' hand-me-downs. So, she took me to an out of the way shop and told me how to seduce the clerk. It worked too! I was even able to get a few extra things for free!"

Harrison’s stomach churned and he bolted out the door. Before he knew it, he was heaving like mad into a waste basket, and several sets of footsteps were behind him. Without a second thought, he cast a shield over himself, unable to do more at the moment.

“Are you alright, love?”

“How can she talk about what she did, like it wasn’t a big deal?” Harrison leaned away from the bin, breathing heavily. He didn’t trust his voice yet, so he continued to speak through the bond. “Like it was just a random day and she was just contemplating ordering kippers? What the hell is wrong with her?”

“Can you put down the shield?”

“Sorry, George,” Harrison replied guiltily, letting the shield drop. “Time to go back in?”

“Yeah,” George agreed, gently steering him back toward the courtroom. “And away from the cameras.”

“What?!” Harrison yelped. Looking where George was indicating, he saw at least a dozen flashing cameras at the end of the corridor. The people were clearly trying to push through the barrier to keep them out. “Great. Now the whole of Europe is going to see me sicking up. This is just perfect.”

Notes:

Any suggestions for some off-screen crimes committed by any of our favorite little felons? (Just not Ron, because he's been sentenced already)
Not much of a spoiler alert, but I'm gonna have some fun with Harmony Grange's case. Muah hahaha.

Chapter 22

Summary:

I know it's short, but after such a long hiatus, I need to reacquaint myself with the story.

Harrison apologised and reclaimed his seat. He was pleased to note that his mum actually reacted, by way of making sure he was alright.

“I’m fine, mum,” he whispered, reaching over Fred to quickly squeeze his hand. “I just needed a moment.”

With one more concerned glance, his mum nodded minutely and faced the proceedings.

“Can we continue?” Cornelius Fudge snarled, eyeing Harrison with disgust.

“My apologies, Minister. Bit of an upset stomach.” Harrison gave an apologetic nod. “When did Fudge get here? I didn’t think he’d be involved, since he wasn’t here at the start.”

“He came in just as you left, said something about being hassled by foreigners.”

Harrison looked at Fred, brow raised, but said nothing. Oh, surprise surprise, the Minister was a racist.

“Thank you, Miss Weasley, you may step down.” Lucius said in a calm tone.

“He’s done? How long was I in the hall?” Harrison asked, not noticing that he’d spoken aloud.

“Call your next witness!” Fudge barked.

“I would like to call Margaret Weasley to the stand.” Barrister Rosen said, indicating a shadowed corner to the far right of the room.

Lucius stood quickly. “Due to the nature of Miss Weasley’s claims, we respectfully request the use of veritaserum.”

“I am not on trial!” Molly screeched, waddling to the stand. “I won’t take it!”

The crowd ignored her, wanting to see what either Fudge or Madam Bones had to say on the matter. Molly continued to refuse the potion, growing louder and louder with each word that was spewed.

“Granted,” Madam Bones said with a short nod.

“Denied,” Fudge said at the same time.

Madam Bones stared at the minister, jaw slack. He never overrode her before, especially at a trial of all places. The man was an idiot at the best of times, letting those who were actually qualified handle matters. This was one of the biggest cases in decades, so what was he playing at?

“You may begin your questioning, barrister,” Fudge said, ignoring the confusion of the masses.

“Very well,” Barrister Rosen said, sighing deeply. “Mrs. Margaret Weasley-”

“Prewett!”

Harrison blinked in surprise and looked around for the shout. Mr. Weasley was standing, and he looked furious.

“Her name is Prewett, and I would thank you to remember it!” With that, he sat down.

“When did your parents divorce?” Harrison asked, brows knit.

“What’s a divorce?” They asked together.

“It means they got… un-married.” He explained, wondering if it truly was so rare in the magical world.

“I dunno,” George said with a light shrug. “But they had to have done, right?”

“Of course,” Barrister Rosen, giving Mr. Weasley a polite nod. “Ms. Prewett?”

Clearly not liking her personal life aired out, Molly huffed. “What?”

“Earlier, your daughter informed us that you encouraged her to use her body to get things. What do you have to say about this accusation? Including the fact that it began before she attended Hogwarts.”

“I did nothing of the sort!” Molly shouted, obviously scandalised. “If she took things that far, then that is her fault, not mine!”

“Please elaborate, Ms. Prewett,” he said, as everyone noted that she hadn’t actually denied the acts taking place.

“Just a moment.” Molly said, sounding oddly rational as she faced the minister. “Minister?”

Startled, Fudge cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes, Ms. Prewett?”

“For this line of questioning, I would like to use veritaserum.” As soon as the words left Molly’s lips (at a perfectly respectable volume for once), the crowd as a whole began to talk, mostly in shock. “But, as soon as this subject is finished, I want to wait for further questioning until it wears off.”

“Are you sure about this?” Fudge asked incredulously.

“Do you think I want to be labelled as that kind of person?” She demanded angrily. “And by my own daughter, no less? I’ve made my mistakes, but that was Not one of them!”

“I accept your terms, Ms. Prewett,” Amelia Bones said, brow raised in clear intrigue. She signalled for an auror to distribute the potion. It was well known that the Head of the Auror Department was in charge of the courtroom, not the minister, no matter who chose to ignore the fact. “One drop should be plenty, Auror Hellcroft.”

Hellcroft nodded sharply and administered the veritaserum, the dropper hovering over Molly’s tongue.

“For the record, state your name and age, please.” Amelia was intrigued already, and it wasn’t over yet.

“Margaret Prewett, aged forty-seven,” came the monotone reply.

“Proceed,” she said, giving the barrister the go-ahead.

“Forty-seven? I thought your mum and my dad were in the same year? How is she four years older than him?” Harrison wondered, not bothering to hide his confusion.

“I dunno. Honestly, I was wondering the same thing.” George’s brows knit, but remained otherwise stony-faced.

“Ms. Prewett,” the barrister asked calmly. “Did you encourage your underaged daughter to seduce a store clerk, at the age of eleven, to avoid paying for her school supplies?”

“No,”

“Did you purchase aphrodisiacs for your daughter to use?”

“No,”

“Did you encourage Miss Weasley to fall pregnant with Mr. Potter’s child, in hopes of ensuring a marriage?”

“No,”

“I have no further questions, Madam Bones.” With that, the barrister bowed to the Wizengamot.

Harrison leaned forward, catching his father’s attention, who gave him a reassuring smile.

“Lord Malfoy, your witness.” Amelia made a sweeping gesture with her hand, and a glint in her eye. “The veritaserum will be wearing off within the next fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you Madam Bones,” he replied with a wicked grin. “Now, Ms. Prewett, you were able to deny all of the allegations against your person. That being the case, I am going to ask the same questions, then you will be free to wait out the potion.”

That got the courtroom talking. Why in Merlin’s name would he just repeat the questions? What purpose could that possibly serve? Was he barking?

“Ms. Prewett,” Lucius began, adjusting his cuff nonchalantly. “Did you encourage your daughter to seduce a store clerk in order to receive free or discounted items?”

“Yes,”

How did her answer change?! The truth serum hadn’t worn off yet, had it?

“Had you done so more than once?”

“Yes,”

“Have you encouraged this behaviour for anything other than school supplies?”

“Yes,”

“What specifically have you gotten, at any point in time, by doing so?”

“The Ministry lottery that afforded our trip to Egypt, Ronald’s quidditch supplies, Fred and George’s OWL scores were dropped, Percy’s NEWT scores were improved, answers for all of Ronald and Ginny’s exams were gotten from the Ministry each summer, two house elves, and soon I will have my first grandchild.”

There was not a single person in attendance who was not horrified at what they had just heard.

Shaking himself out of his shock before the serum could wear off, Lucius cleared his throat and continued. “While you said that you did not purchase aphrodisiacs for your daughter, did you supply them for her in any other way?”

“Yes,”

“Did you give your daughter fertility potions to fall pregnant, thus trapping Lord Harrison Peverell-Potter-Slytherin-Gryffindor-Ravenclaw-Gaunt-Parkinson-Umbridge, Heir Black-Hufflepuff, in marriage?”

“Yes,”

The quiet ripples of hushed conversations made it clear that a name made all the difference in the world.

And, finally. “When he refused your daughter’s advances, did you encourage her to rape him?”

“Yes,”

“One final question, Ms. Prewett. Because he refused her, who did you have her bed in order to fall pregnant?”

“R-NO!” Molly screamed, looking wildly around the room. The serum had worn off. “YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO ASK THOSE THINGS! THERE WAS A LIST! YOU DIDN’T USE THE LIST! I DEMAND THAT ALL OF HIS QUESTIONS BE STRICKEN FROM THE RECORD! HE CHEATED!” Spittle flew in all directions as she made a fool of herself. There was no way that anything she said would be stricken from the record. When no one spoke, she continued. “HE CHEATED! THIS WHOLE TRIAL IS A JOKE! I WAS GIVEN A SPECIFIC LIST, AND THAT BLOND BITCH IGNORED THE LIST! HE CHEATED! I’M INNOCENT! I DID NOTHING WRONG! HE-”

The minister was, surprisingly enough, the one to cast the silencing charm on her, shaking his head in disgust. “Hellcroft, please take Ms. Prewett into custody. The trial will be determined at a later date.”

Despite knowing that she could not be heard, Molly was not dissuaded from screaming her displeasure, round face turning splotchy shades of red and purple. Veins bulged on her forehead and spittle flew from her lips as she attempted to spew her vitrol.

With a roar to quiet the masses, the Minister urged the aurors to put magic dampening cuffs around her wrists and remove her immediately. He then decided to wrap things up for the day, giving the barristers time to prepare for a continuation, given all of the information that had been brought to light.

 

Harrison was followed closely by the twins as they left the Ministry. They were followed by two of Harrison’s parents, Thortac, Mr. Weasley, who was understandably upset.

“D’you think it would be easier on him if I told him that he didn’t fail as a father, since there was no way Ginny is his child?” Harrison whispered softly to the twins.

George opened his mouth, but was cut off before he could utter a sound.

“WHAT?!”

The trio turned around to see Fabian and Gideon, red-faced and furious.

Harry paled and stumbled back into Fred. “I… I… I’m sorry.”

Apparently they weren’t the only ones who stopped at the shout, as many of their family, plus a few nosy spectators, were trying to figure out what was going on.

George stepped in front of Harry. “She isn’t his. I’m sorry, but it’s just not possible.”

“How can you be sure?” One of them asked, seeming to struggle with his anger.

“It dates back to the original Weasley/Malfoy feud,” Fred explained. “Because of what the Weasley’s of the time had done, the Ministry actually performed a ritual that would keep our family from ever having girls as punishment for their crimes.”

“Poor Arthur,” the other twin said, shaking his head sadly. “How do we tell him?”

Harry saw a beetle on the hem of George’s sleeve. He reached for it, but it flew off. Bugger. “It’ll have to be soon,” he said apologetically. “Rita Bloody Skeeter just left. It’ll be in the paper by morning. I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have found out like this.”

“That ruddy slag stole him from our best friend for more than twenty years, and still had the gall to cheat on him?” The angry twin was positively fuming now. “WHY? Arthur is the kindest, most loyal person in the world!”

“Uncle,” Fred tried, placing a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “Maybe we should take this conversation somewhere private?”

The elder twins looked around at the audience they were mistakenly gathering and sighed. “We’re sorry boys,” they said in unison.

“You do that, too?” Fred and George asked together, eyes dancing with mischief.

“Is it time for bed yet?”

The twins looked at a yawning Harrison, and wrapped him in a double-hug.

Worriedly, as Harrison was rather pale, the Prewett twins came closer.

As the scent of two different colognes assaulted his nose, Harrison’s stomach clenched. He held up his hands to keep them from coming any closer.

Taken aback, the elder twins stopped. “Are you alright?”

Fred slipped Harrison an anti-nausea potion as George disentangled himself from the hug to explain the slightly rude behaviour.

“Our Heart is having trouble with different scents. His mum usually casts some scent blocker spell, but I don’t know it, and his mum is a bit out of sorts. He likes you well enough, but your cologne is making him ill.”

“Ahhhhh,” Fabian said, nodding knowingly. “Yes, Arthur mentioned that little… surprise.”

“If it helps,” Gideon began sympathetically. “I know the spell.”

Though his face was buried in Fred’s robes, Harrison nodded miserably, still fighting to keep control of his rolling stomach.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” Gideon cast the spell around the young man, and smiled when he saw Harrison’s shoulders slowly begin to relax.

After a few moments of slow, measured breathing, Harrison unburied his face. “Thank you. I really need to learn that one.”

 

“So, I have to ask… you said that she stole him from your best friend. Who was that? Is Molly not their mother?” Harrison flopped down on one of the sofas in the Chamber. The others followed suit, taking their seats much more gracefully. “Because, for some reason, we never got an inheritance test for Fred and George.”

Regulus and the Prewett twins took up one, Severus and Lucius took up a loveseat, and Arthur sat with the Black sisters on another. No one was entirely sure where Lily had gone, but no one spoke up about it.

Notes:

Absolutely leave comments about what crimes/punishments you want to see in the near future! I love seeing all of your ideas, and adding them let's me feel excited that you are so interested in the story!

Chapter 23

Notes:

I am so sorry! This story has not been abandoned, but between real life and the fact that the story was pulling away from how I envisioned... well, sorry again. But anyway, I'm back, and I think I've figured out how to piece it all together. This chapter especially was not cooperating, but I believe that despite the rockiness will give way to my plot needs... Hopefully...

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Arthur to work himself into hysterics at the news, and for Severus to quickly administer a dreamless sleep.

“Her name was Twyla Carpenter,” One of the Prewett twins said with a sigh. “We grew up together, since she lived nearby. Up till the time they split up, we were all either at her house or at ours. She was in Arthur’s year, two above us. They were together before Giddy and I ever even started school. They dated all through school, but they broke up for some reason that was never really explained, then within a few months, he was bonded to our sister. A lot of people figured that he was cheating on Twyla for a while, because no other explanation made sense. To go from a six year relationship with one person to bonding to another within four months? I mean, come on. What are the odds?”

While, granted, it did sound fishy, it was within the realm of possibility. Some people just clicked sometimes. Maybe that’s what it was?

“Is that what you think happened?” Harrison asked bluntly. “That he was cheating on her for a while?”

“NO!” Gideon roared, bringing his fist down heavily on the arm of his seat, as Regulus squeezed the other. Everyone glanced at Arthur, to make sure the outburst didn’t wake him. They were all thankful it didn’t. “Our sister has always wanted what others had, even from a young age. If she wanted Arthur, I have no trouble believing that she stole him from Twyla.”

“So,” Bella said, patting Arthur’s hair in sympathy. “Does anyone else think that a trip to Gringotts is in order?”

“Well, tonight is obviously out, as Mr. Weasley won’t wake until morning, but we can go tomorrow after dinner, or wait until Saturday if you prefer.” Harrison shrugged. “Unless you’d rather go alone, of course.”

“You are more than welcome to come along. Since Gringotts closes at eight, it would make the most sense to wait until Saturday,” Fabian said logically.

“Gringotts is only closed at eight to regular customers,” George said, smirking as he tugged on Harrison’s hair playfully. “How else would those with creature blood be able to bank? It’s not as if vampires can just walk in at tea time on any given Wednesday.”

“There’s a separate entrance round the side for late night visitors,” Harrison explained. “Open to creature blooded people and high-ranking account holders, all hours of the day and night.”

“Is it really?” Gideon asked, eyes wide in surprise. “I had no idea.”

“Is that why Bella was not killed for ‘breaking in’ over the Yule holidays?” Narcissa asked, having always wondered about that day. “Because you are one such high-ranking customer?”

“That, and the fact that I’ve been named Goblin,” Harrison explained casually, then gestured to his husbands. “They were too, after we bonded. In any case, if I am there, you can go at any time. Having all of us go together will make it easier for everyone who needs to get tested.”

“Indeed,” Severus replied, clenching his hands tightly. “I will escort you, Harrison.”

“In that case,” George said, muffling a yawn. “We’ll meet anyone who’s going at eight, right here. We can apparate everyone at once, and no one else will even know we’ve gone.”

For the first time in weeks, Harrison was not exhausted, but he made sure to yawn as well. “I think it’s about time for bed. Bella, are you going to stay here, or go with Cissa? Even as Bells, you haven’t gone out much, or if you do, you’re usually in Freddie’s pocket.”

“I would like to stay,” Bella said with a small smile. “I am supposed to meet with Neville and Luna tomorrow for lunch in the seventh year greenhouse. He really is a sweet boy.”

“Oh, good!” Fred said happily, summoning something from Salazar’s potion’s lab down the hall. “If you want to run around on your own as Bells, you’ll need this. No one will be able to get within a metre of you, except us, without having some… colourful consequences. Added to that, everyone will immediately know who you ‘belong’ to, without a tag or explanation. It’s designed to shrink and grow with you, so when you’re human, it’ll just look like a necklace.” He held out a thin strip of leather with a clacker-less crystal bell.

“You should know, Bella, before you accept it, that when we put the protections on it, that only one of the three of us will be able to remove it. It’s part of the protection. We would have to put it on you, and take it off. It’s your choice.” Harrison wanted this gathering to disperse quickly so he could be ravaged by his fantastic husbands, but he needed Bella to have all the facts first. He felt both twins grinning through the bond, while maintaining straight faces that were clearly ‘tired’.

When Bella agreed to the necklace/collar, George yawned widely once more, and fastened it around her neck.

They got everyone back up the slide, wanting to keep the lift behind the dragon portrait quiet. Plus, if anyone tried to remain without Harrison or the twins, they’d be trapped.

With Dumbles being out of the castle, none of the visitors had to hide as they headed for the exit.

 

The next morning, the trio headed for the Great Hall for breakfast. Judging by the low buzz of murmuring, there was no way that nothing was going on.

Neville, who always seemed to be at the end of the Gryffindor table that was closest to the door, casually held up a copy of the Daily Prophet.

“Why, thank you, good sir!” George said, giving an exaggerated bow, his arms flailing out wildly at his sides.

“Alright,” Harrison grumbled, nodding his own thanks and moving toward the Slytherin table. “Go ahead.”

George cleared his throat about nine times and put on a high, girlish voice.

“Even if we only remember a few details here and there, we all know of the illustrious Malfoy/Weasley feud, spanning several generations. In my tireless efforts to confirm a most tempting bit of gossip, my search led to the history of the feud. Oh, my dears, all of my research has proven without a shadow of a doubt that our favourite attempted Line Thief Extraordinaire, Ginevra Weasley, is absolutely not a Weasley! Yes, you heard me correctly! ‘But, Rita,’ you may ask. ‘How could you possibly know this?’ Well, my lovelies, you may want to put a sticking charm on your socks, otherwise they just may be blown off!
After hearing the possibility that Ginerva may not be who she claims, your devoted reporter ran to the records room and dove in head-first. As you may remember, the Weasley/Malfoy feud began when Calliope Malfoy refused the hand of Klaus Weasley, more than two hundred years ago. The Ministry of the time decided to give the Weasley’s a chance at Calliope’s hand. After a brutal assault carried out by Klaus Weasley, however, she refused to marry anyone. It was then that the Weasley family began to take out their frustrations on the joint business the two families shared, thus giving the Ministry reason to allow the Malfoy’s to aid in deciding their punishment. As the Malfoy’s were hurt by the Weasley’s greed, they were stripped of their fortune and were forced to hand over their half of the company’s shares. In addition to this, their lack of control led the Ministry to allow a Curse of Retribution to be placed on the guilty party. This particular Curse is based on the intent of its’ caster, thereby creating a custom punishment each time it is cast. In this case, the punishment was to keep the greedy Weasley’s from ever having a daughter, thus ensuring they could not be used and abused in a similar manner to Miss Calliope Malfoy, who was utterly destroyed by Klaus Weasley.
This leads your ever-humble and devoted reporter to ask the glaringly obvious question… Who is Ginevra’s true father? We are already aware that magic has proven it cannot be any member of the Weasley family. We here at-' yada, yada, yada-”

George stopped reading there, satisfied at the facts, rather than angry at the expected misinformation. As saddened as they were about their dad’s personal life being aired, they were more than happy about Molly’s cheating ways being exposed for the world to see.

The vast majority of the Great Hall was whispering about the scandal that had been, once again, leaked by the incredibly sneaky Rita Skeeter.

Harrison gleefully spooned a glob of honey all over his porridge and bacon. It was going to be a good day.

 

By the time eight o’clock rolled around, Harrison, Severus, Arthur, Gideon, Fabian, Draco and Regulus were all waiting at the apparition spot in the Chamber. The twins were running late, though they informed Harrison, via the bond, that they had been stopped by Professor Sprout, as neither of them had turned in their last assignment.

Severus was arguing with Draco, who was trying to go along, despite the lack of necessity.

“I’m tired of being an afterthought!” Draco snapped. “Anytime something happens, I don’t find out until the next day, at the earliest! I’m sick of it! If the rest of you are going to take inheritance tests, then I am as well.”

Harrison was ashamed. Was everyone really leaving Draco out? Maybe they needed to do something just for him? What exactly that was, he had no idea, but he would figure it out.

“Why not take him?” Harrison asked casually. He wasn’t feeling guilty about ignoring his brother. Okay, he was. “It’s not as if he won’t find out what happened anyway. Besides, it’s only for testing, so there is no risk of anything happening.” Especially in Goblin territory.

“It is not as though either of you need to go!” Severus roared, slamming his hand down firmly on one of the snake statues. “You are both children, and I am more than sick of you both trying to take on more than your age requires! You are fifteen! Go to class, do your homework! Gossip with your insipid little friends and pass inane notes, whose contents can easily wait until the end of classes to be discussed! Be children!”

Harrison and Draco were not the only ones left gaping, but Severus wasn’t finished.

“There should be no reason for either of you two to be traipsing about, risking your lives for things that should not be your business or responsibility! Deranged Headmasters and criminal apprehension are not what you should be wasting your time on! Leave the adult problems to the adults! An-”

“Severus,” Arthur’s voice was nearly a whisper, but they all heard him clearly. “I understand that it isn’t my place, but I worry you’re going to say something you regret.”

“You are right, Arthur,” Severus replied acidly, brow arching sharply. “It is not your place. Despite a vast number of reasons and opportunities, I have never attempted to tell you how to parent your own children. Do remember that, won’t you?”

As if magically immobilised, not one of the rooms’ occupants could do anything but stare as Arthur charged forward and punched Severus so hard that they both fell to the floor. Only Arthur stood back up, as Severus’ eyes were closed and his ragged breathing slowly eased to a steady rhythm.

“I can’t believe I just did that,” he whispered, horrified.

The elder twins rushed forward, the non-spell holding them seeming to break, and immediately began to reassure Arthur that he wasn’t a horrible person, in spite of his repeated cries of just that.

“It’s alright, Mr. Weasley,” Harrison said numbly, his gaze still glued to his unconscious mother. What was wrong with Severus? “When he comes to, I’m sure he’ll understand why you did it. He just needs to calm down, I think.”

Draco approached his brother quietly. “Do you-” he paused as his voice cracked. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “Do you think you could go get dad? I’m sure he could talk mum down.”

If he was honest with himself, Harrison briefly considered obliviating their mother. Very briefly. But when two sets of hands wrapped around him in a comforting manner, he let his mind shut off.

“I’ll take the others to Gringotts, then go get him, okay?” George asked softly. “He’s probably there waiting already.”

Fred nodded, in support. “We can catch up to the others in a bit, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Harrison parroted, only half aware of what he was agreeing to. “That’s fine.”

Within minutes, Severus had woken and sequestered himself in his rooms with Lucius. Harrison and Fred heard some shouting before Lucius popped his head out to tell them to go meet with the others.

 

“Hey, Fangor,” Harrison said, fist bumping the dour goblin as usual. “Do you happen to know which account manager Arthur Weasley is meeting with? We got a bit… sidetracked on our way here.”

Fangor nodded and led them to the office door labelled, ‘Account Manager Ironpike’.

They thanked the goblin and were quickly ushered inside. “We apologise for our tardiness, Master Ironpike.”

Waving them off, Ironpike gathered several sheets of the enchanted parchment necessary for the inheritance tests, along with the specialised quills and ink. “Everyone taking the tests, step forward. Anyone else, get out of the way.”

Arthur, Fred, George, Draco, Fabian and Gideon approached the desk, whilst Harrison and Regulus stepped back.

“You’re not taking one?” Harrison asked the man, then magicked up a loveseat for them to share.

“No need,” Regulus replied easily. “I took one shortly before my so-called death. No shocking revelations like yours, if my darling pseudo nephews are to be believed.”

“You know, I don’t think George or Fred would mind if you called them your nephews. You’ve been with their uncles for how many years?”

“I’m not entirely sure, to be completely honest with you. Without some way to properly keep track of time passing, it might be ten years, or even twelve.” There was a hint of sadness at his words, though he put on a brave face. “Not to mention that I had been in that trunk for quite some time before they appeared.”

Loud, booming laughter rang out, making both of them jump. The Prewett twins were grinning ear to ear.

One spoke first. “Magic recognised our bond, as of-”

The other joined in to finish. “-17th November, 1983!”

Regulus jumped up and flung himself into the arms of his magically bound husbands, shedding what Harrison could only assume were tears of pure joy.

But Harrison’s happiness for the trio was overshadowed by an overwhelming wave of hurt and outrage. To be frank, the strange feelings left him breathless. Massaging his chest, he approached his own twins. “What’s wrong?”

Fred wordlessly handed over his test, much too pale to be healthy.

Having only looked at the first word, Harrison couldn’t help but snort. “Had to swap pages to make sure they’re really the same?” It hardly surprised him that Fred had George’s test. The next line made him stop. Public name: Frederick Gideon Weasley. He backtracked to look at the name in confusion. Legal name: George Fabian Potter-Diggory.

George’s page said, Public name: George Fabian Weasley, and Legal name: Frederick Gideon Peverell-Diggory.

“What the hell?” Harrison wondered aloud, jaw slack. But there it was, clear as day. They really had been mixed up at some point, making the pair not truly know which they were. The next line was no better. Mother: Margaret ‘Molly’ Prewett, Father: Amos Diggory II. They had already figured that their parentage was not a certainty, but this was not anything near what any of them had considered.

“Boys?” Arthur’s voice asked shakily, staring at his own sheet of parchment, horror clear on his tear-stained face.

The Prewett twins rushed to his side and skimmed the apparently damning page. Child(ren): Percival Ignatius Weasley-Prewett. That was it.

Mr. Weasley crumpled to the floor, letting out a cry of despair. As the somewhat broken man sobbed into the strong arms of the Prewett twins, the rest of the group tried in vain to give them some semblance of privacy by turning their attention to the only other person who took the test.

Draco’s parchment revealed almost nothing, other than a few compulsions to make him more aggressive toward Gryffindors, that all seemed to coincide with the biggest blowouts between him and his brother. “Well, that was anticlimactic,” he said, letting out a breath of relief. The compulsions were not long-lasting, so his system was clear. “Are you two alright?”

The twins blinked in surprise. Whilst they were no longer antagonistic with each other, their contact was pretty minimal. For Draco to express concern… It was shocking, but overall welcome.

“We’ll be alright,” George said, scrubbing a hand over his tired face.

“Thanks, Ferret,” Fred finished, turning their focus to their father. Blood be damned, Arthur Weasley was their father.

Nudging their twin uncles out of the way, they wrapped the man into a tight hug and told him as much.

“Besides,” George continued. “We’d have been driven round the bend with someone like Diggory as a parent. Do you remember how strict and pompous he was?”

“We’d have been gift-wrapped and shipped off to St. Mungo’s before we turned five,” Fred added, rubbing his dad’s back.

“That or he would have,” George said, chuckling weakly. “We love you so much, that neither of us could care less what those tests say. You’re our dad, okay?”

“The best in Europe!”

“The best in the world!”

“In the Universe!”

 

As the days passed, Harrison found himself falling into a consistent pattern of classes and calm. It was an extraordinary change of pace, for which he and his family found themselves immensely grateful. Of course, there were still a great many things that needed to be done, but for now, they could bask in the calm before the storm.

A mere two days after the Gringotts fiasco, as Harrison had begun calling it, Arthur and the Prewett twins were trying to bring Percy back into the fold. It was more important than ever, now.

For the rest of them, not much had changed. Fred and George were still refusing the Diggory name, despite their legal claim. Amos had already lost one son, and the last thing they intended to do was break apart the marriage between Amos and Charlotte, as he had to have been cheating on the woman whilst she was pregnant with Cedric.

Having chosen to ignore the paternity scandal, they seemed to focus more on Harrison and their own impending fatherhood. It seemed like every free moment the three had, the twins were touching or talking to Harrison’s slowly swelling stomach. The pair had even taken to reading magical children’s books whilst Harrison slept.

Despite being mildly annoyed at the near-constant contact, he allowed it. Having such a bond made it easy to understand the need they felt, and the reasoning behind it all. If being a bit clingy for a while was what they needed to feel better, who was he to stop them?

 

Later that week, a fluffy grey owl flew into the Great Hall, and without thinking, Harrison reached up with his free hand to unburden the owl of the envelope affixed to its leg. Everyone he knew rarely used owls for communication, as he was able to apparate to them, and they usually planned their future meetups at the end of the previous one.

“What in Merlin’s name could she possibly want?” Fred asked, eyeing the yellowed envelope with confusion and apprehension.

“Who?” George wondered, slathering jam on his still-steaming toast.

Harrison flipped the letter over. “Umbridge,” he replied suspiciously.

Notes:

I had plans for Umbridge's story... like fifteen chapters ago, but it never seemed to fit anywhere, so... surprise?

Chapter 24

Notes:

Picks up immediately after the last chapter. They're still in the Great Hall and Harrison just got the letter from Umbridge.

“Well, let’s see what it says!” Fred said immediately.

The occupants of the Slytherin table all pretended to be paying attention to other things, which neither Harrison nor the twins bought for a second. He would let Draco in on whatever it was, but the rest? Not unless necessary. He doubted it would be necessary.

Regardless, he tucked the envelope into his pocket to read away from so many prying eyes.

Fred sighed dramatically, as his husband stuck out his tongue. “Oh, alright.”

“Besides, we’ve got plenty of time after breakfast, since you two have got History, which is close by, and I’ve got to go see Professor Snape.” Harrison knew that everyone in his house was aware of his parentage, but the nosy Ravenclaws that always seemed to be listening, didn’t need to know. In no way was he ashamed, but it couldn’t get back to certain people, and Hogwarts was nothing if not a boarding school (meaning: gossip mill).

As soon as they finished breakfast, which for Harrison, included casting a glamour over his plate so that no one would see the monstrosity he concocted by drowning his toast and eggs in fried onions, hot sauce and orange marmalade, they made their way into the Entrance Hall to read the suspicious letter.

Dear, Mr. Potter,
First, I must apologise for taking so long to write to you. The situation, as it is, is a rather difficult one, and putting it into written word is not the simplest task. It is for that reason that I suggest an in-person meeting. Should you be amenable, I will meet you in Hogsmeade during the school’s next visiting weekend. If you do not wish to meet, which I would understand completely, I would like to offer my humblest apologies for my actions. In addition, I request that you offer my sincerest thanks to those responsible for my trial, namely your Healer. If they had not intervened, I shudder to think of what horrific crimes I might have committed if left under those curses and enchantments.
For the sake of propriety, I will formally admit to owing life debts to you and your Healer.
I, Alexander NoName, hereby pledge a Life Debt to Harrison Potter and to Healer Thortac. This is to be witnessed and recognised by Goblin Crown. This Life Debt will have only the pre-set limitations of no death in any form, or destitution. Anything beyond this, I will honour, as your duty-bound vassal. My life is yours.
Gratefully yours,
Alexander NoName

All four gaped at the last paragraph.

“There’s no way,” Harrison breathed, brows knit. “How does she-he owe me? Thortac I get, but why me? Sure, he was forced to use that blasted quill on me, and he did… hang on, does using the Cruiciatus count as a Life Debt-able offence?” He felt a tickle of amusement through the bond.

“Well, I’m not sure ‘Life Debt-able’ is a thing, but honestly, I don’t know.” George shrugged. “Maybe ask your mum?”

“As for the Debt,” Draco said thoughtfully, running slender fingers along his jaw, eyes narrowed. “I can’t help but wonder if he realised who the true Lord of his family was. The wording alone is suspect. Vassal? That doesn’t sound like a typical life-debt admission. Also, your actions led to him finally being freed from his father’s machinations. Though why Slughorn did what he did, I still don’t understand. You could ask, if you go to the meeting. Perhaps one of our parents should accompany you…”

“Yeah, then you could also find out about what happened over the weekend, when you ask about the meeting.” Fred added, brows knit. “He just went off like a lunatic, and your parents are just about the most stable adults we know.”

Kissing his husbands goodbye, Harrison shooed them off to class and headed for the dungeons.

 

Severus was drying his hands with a tea towel when he entered the suite.

The pair stared at each other in awkward silence.

“So…” Harrison began hesitantly. “How are you?”

For a moment, Severus didn’t respond, but rubbed the cheekbone Arthur had cracked. “Embarrassed, mostly.” He took a seat and gestured for his son to do the same. “I have already spoken with, and apologised, to Arthur.”

“Well, that’s good,” Harrison said encouragingly. “Now… you don’t have to answer, but… what happened? I thought you two were getting along. Maybe not friends exactly, but at least friendly.”

“Prop your feet up,” he said in lieu of an answer. “I remember the pains of pregnancy well, and you’ve been moving stiffly.”

Holding back a groan of annoyance, Harrison did as he was told and finagled his legs up on his mum’s lap and leaned back on the armrest of the settee.

“First thing’s first,” he said, pulling up his son’s pant legs and summoning a jar of salve. With gentle hands, he began massaging the sore ankles. “I thank you for calling your father.”

Harrison smiled weakly, then hissed when his mum hit a tender spot on his left foot. “It was Draco’s idea, if I’m honest. I just… I dunno, froze for a minute. Even at your worst, I’d never seen you like that.”

Eyes closed, Severus let out a deep breath. “I was under a great deal of stress, and I simply lashed out. Only an hour before, I had received more unpleasant news, and, as the muggles say, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“Want to talk-Oh, right there!-about it?”

“Lily,” he spat the word in distaste. “Was the beginning. I had thought that our relationship could be salvaged. I was wrong. Your father and I met with her, and she brought her children. Whilst no blame lies with them, we had not expected them to be present. The eldest kept the younger ones occupied nearby as we spoke. Lily admitted that the eldest was fathered by James Potter out of… mutual boredom, during their confinement at Godric’s Hollow.” A tear slid down his pale cheek at the admission, but he pressed on. “Shortly after you were born, the illustrious Headmaster saw fit to inform her of my demise at the hands of Death Eaters who learned of my blood status. According to her, she waited a week or so to seek comfort from James.”

“But James Potter was gay,” Harrison replied in confusion. “How did that work? I can’t even imagine sleeping with a girl, much less actually doing it.”

“She apparently managed to talk him into it, but said that it only occurred once.”

“Clearly,” Harrison said, rubbing his stomach. “That’s all it takes. Oh, could you remind me later to get some owl-order catalogues? I’ll likely forget, as I have been rather scatterbrained lately. My clothes aren’t fitting properly anymore. Sorry, let’s go back to your story.”

Smiling sadly, he nodded. “After the kidnapping, she had begun trysts with a few fellow prisoners. She is unsure of the paternity of the three younger girls, and had intended to send them to live with her most common paramours.”

“Can I ask who they were?” Harrison asked cautiously. “You don’t have to tell me, or anything, but I’m curious.”

“Perhaps, when the news is less daunting, your father and I will discuss it with the family.” He moved to Harrison’s right leg. “For now, what I have already told you must suffice. In any case, he and I have received the appropriate forms for an annulment from her.”

“What about the girls? Is she still going to ship them off to someone else? Someone who might not even be their father? How could she?” The thought of handing his own babies to anyone was horrific! “What’s going to happen to them?!”

“Calm, Harrison,” Severus said in a soothing tone. “I had a similar reaction, though it was not until Lucius and I were away from Lily.”

“I’ll take them in, if that ruddy cow is too preoccupied with her own wants to look after them properly! We both know I can take the NEWTs now, as can the twins. We don’t have to stay here, and I already bought a house! It’s big enough for thirty people! For the love of Merlin, don’t let what happened to me happen to them.”

“It will not!” Severus snapped, not angry at his son, but rather at the situation.

Harrison’s jaw clicked shut. “I… I’m sorry. Please, keep going.”

Taking a few moments to gather his thoughts, Severus continued. “Eventually, we signed the annulment papers. It broke my heart to do so, but nothing I could say or do would change her mind. Your father and I offered to take the girls in, but she declined without offering a reason.” He sighed, and resituated Harrison’s socks and pant legs, but did not move to let the boy put his feet back on the floor. A flick of his wand left his hands clean of the salve.

“But if her having them when you were still married kind of makes them your legal responsibility, doesn’t it? And if so, why can’t you just take the matter to the Ministry?” Harrison was just so confused. How had this happened? What made Lily turn her back on what sounded like the love story to rival all love stories?

“While it would be within our rights, Lucius and I believe it would cause more harm than good.”

Harrison thought about it for a moment before nodding in understanding. “I could see how it might cause problems.” He hated that this was happening to his parents. “You said Lily was the beginning, right? So, what else has been going on?”

“We…” Severus hesitated, needing a moment to collect himself. “We have been trying to conceive for the past several weeks.”

“Really?” Harrison asked, a grin lighting up his face. “That’s fantastic!” His grin faded as he saw his mother’s face.

“I had an appointment with Rhiannon on Saturday morning,” he continued, voice shaking slightly. “Neither of us will be able to have any more children. I have been under the effects of too many curses, and your father simply has a low sperm count. She was surprised I managed to conceive you and Draco. I had thought that potions would be able to help him, which was true, but the majority of the issue was my own failing body.”

Despite creating both him and Draco, and birthing Draco, Harrison realised that Severus had never gotten a chance to mother his own children. He and his brother were sadly near their majority by the time all of Dumbles’s machinations came to light, and Severus missed out on pretty much all of it.

Harrison didn’t even notice that he had begun crying until his mum wiped away the tears. “I’m so sorry, mum. I know it isn’t the same, but we’re going to need all the help we can get when these two make their debut.” He pulled his legs off Severus’ lap and snuggled into the man’s side. There were still twenty or so minutes of class left, so they stayed like that until the chime sounded out.

 

“Love, what are you doing?”

Harrison stopped pacing and closed the heavy tome with a solid thud. He sighed and dropped it on the upholstered bench at the foot of their bed.

Draco and the twins looked at the cover in confusion. ‘Custody Law in Magical Britain: Everything You Need to Know’

“Is there something you need to tell us?” Fred asked, sounding both worried and concerned.

“Time to start boning up for our NEWTs, my dear husbands,” Harrison replied furiously. “I think our time at Hogwarts is coming to an end. Just our luck that the next exams are two weeks away. Do you think that’ll be enough time?”

George’s eyes widened. “Harrikins, I think we’re going to need some more words, preferably in the form of an explanation.”

“Is it the babies?” Fred asked, placing a hand over their children. “Are you hiding health problems again?”

“Yes and no,” Harrison replied, flustered. Rubbing his stomach, he continued. “These two are fine, and so am I, healthwise at least. I found out what was going on with mum, and he’s even made nice with your dad already. Oh, Draco, I completely forgot about mentioning the meeting with Um-er, Alexander. Could you ask him when you go over later?”

Blinking in surprise, Draco shrugged. “Sure. Have you figured out how he managed to belong to the Umbridge family in the first place? I mean, his father is a Slughorn.”

“What?” Harrison asked before mentally slapping himself for only lending half an ear. “Oh, sorry, judging by the sign off, I’m guessing he had himself removed from his family. Either that or he was a bastard. That’s probably the most logical explanation.”

“Alright,” Fred said, taking Harrison’s hands in his own. “You’re all over the place, right now, and not making much sense. Go back to the book, and maybe explain that first.”

Groaning, Harrison flopped back on the bed. “I’ve got a plan, and that requires us not being students anymore. Can you be ready for the NEWTs in two weeks?”

“Probably,” George said, brows knit. “But there’s only a little over a month until the end of the year anyway, so why the rush?”

“I have to stop her!” Harrison cried out, maybe a bit too emotionally. “Who knows what will happen to the girls if I don’t?! What if they end up unwanted, like I was? I won’t let it happen! No one deserves that! She can’t do this-!”

George was at his husband’s side in a flash, cupping a teary-eyed Harrison. “Love, we’re still missing a lot of information. I know you’re feeling a bit scattered, right now, and that’s entirely understandable. How about we ask questions, and you can answer them one by one, instead of trying to give out loads of information at once? D’you think that could work?”

As Harrison struggled slightly to sit upright, he sighed. Gods, he really was losing his mind these past couple of weeks. “Yeah, okay. Give it a go.”

“Who are you worrying about ending up unwanted?” Fred asked calmly, moving toward the bed to sandwich Harrison between himself and his own twin.

“Lily’s daughters, my sisters!” Harrison replied furiously. “That fucking twat has decided that her newfound freedom is more important than her own bloody children! She plans on dumping them off on her more frequent bed-partners! She doesn’t even know whose kids they are!”

“Okay,” George said, nodding along. Then froze. “You want us all to graduate early, so that we can take them in, don’t you?”

“What?!” Draco squawked, ice-blond eyebrows shooting into his hairline. “B-but-but you’re teenagers yourselves!”

Harrison frowned at his brother, wiping his tears away angrily. “What’s the alternative, Draco? Lily doesn’t want them! She won’t even let mum and dad take them! They already asked, and she wouldn’t tell them why, only that they couldn’t.”

“Maybe she’s just overwhelmed,” Draco said, sounding almost desperate. He and Lily had become close, but he hadn’t known about the girls until Harrison outed her at the disastrous Healer visit. “If she’s not… I dunno, in the right headspace to be a mum, it makes sense that she wouldn’t want her husbands to have them. I mean, it’s not as though she could escape them if they all lived together…”

“She shouldn’t be trying to escape them at all!” Harrison shouted. “They are her children, and she’s showing that she couldn’t care less about them! As for the so-called awkwardness of them staying with mum and dad, it’s a non-issue! She’s already filed for an annulment. That fucking cow is shirking every responsibility that she agreed to. She agreed to marry Severus and Lucius. She agreed to sleep with an unknown number of people, starting a week-yes, an entire week-after being separated from her husbands. She agreed to have unprotected sex with all of these men. Now, she’s running away from all of it! Ignoring your responsibilities doesn’t make them go away!”

The older twins hurried to calm their husband.

“Breathe, love,” George said softly. He placed a hand on Harrison’s stomach and rubbed it in circles, whilst Fred mimicked the action on his back. “Getting worked up isn’t good for you or the babies.”

Tears, now falling full-force, streamed down his face. “I just don’t understand what kind of parent could do something like this. I’d rip out someone’s vocal cords with my bare hands if anyone even suggested that I abandon my babies.” He stopped for a moment to breathe. Something had been niggling the back of his mind for a while now, but he couldn’t- “Adalyn said that Lily might not have had a choice in having them. We know now that isn’t the case. When they were rescued from the trunk, none of them were eager to get back to her. They wanted Cedric or Arthur or whoever else. D’you think Lily deliberately made them, or at least Adalyn, think that they were never wanted by saying those horrible things?”

“But why?” Draco asked sadly. Could she really be so horrible to her own children?

“To make it easier to distance herself from them,” Fred said, catching Harrison’s train of thought. “Since Adalyn’s the oldest, Lily probably figured that she could keep the little ones away from her, causing them to form bonds with the others. Adalyn most likely felt horrible at the news that they weren’t wanted, and didn’t want the others to feel that way too. She was trying to protect them… from Lily.”

Heartbroken for his little sisters-in-law, George took a shaky breath. He knew too well how it felt to be unwanted by a mother. “So, how long till those exams?”

“May sixth,” Harrison answered immediately. “I’ve been ready to take them for months, but do you think you two will be ready as well?”

Fred gave them a half-hearted smile. “Dobby, Pohy, Eppie!”

With three consecutive pops, the House Elves appeared, and seemed surprised that the others had been summoned as well.

“Ohhhh!” Eppie clapped, hopping from foot to foot. “Master Harrison is glowing with health! New Master Babies are growing perfectly!”

Having heard Fred’s idea through the bond, Harrison leaned into his side and sighed happily.

“Hello, my lovelies,” Fred began, grinning at the now nervous House Elves. “We’ve got a task for all three of you, if you’re up for it.”

“Oh, good,” Dobby said, relieved. “We could use something to do. Don’t get me wrong, Harrison, the house is wonderful, but with nothing to do all day, we’ve begun to grate on each others’ nerves.”

“How would you feel about a full house?”

While Eppie and Pohy weren’t quite as open (or blunt) as Dobby, they looked excited.

Dobby, on the other hand, eyed them suspiciously. “How? You’ve still got several weeks of school left.”

“Are you okay, Master Harrison?” Eppie asked worriedly, glancing between Harrison’s face and his bump.

George held out his hand, and Eppie approached cautiously. “All three of them are perfectly well, but thank you for your concern. We’re going to need some family-minded help very soon.”

“But for now,” Fred continued. “We will need four of the guest rooms made up. Love, how old are the girls?”

Taking a moment to think, Harrison rubbed his back. “Er, one, five, ten-no, that’s not right. One, five, eleven and thirteen. Yes, that’s it. Also, could you ready one more? I think mum and dad are going to be spending a lot of time with us soon.”

Draco cleared his throat pointedly.

“Right,” Harrison said seriously. “And we’ll need a ferret cage for him to visit too.”

As Dobby laughed himself senseless, Draco sneered. “I’ll have you know, that bastard broke my jaw and bruised my spine with that stunt. If you care to remember, I was in the hospital wing for two days.”

“Seriously?!” Harrison gaped. How did he not know that?

“The way that rat bastard smashed me into walls and off the floor, are you honestly surprised?” Draco scoffed, tossing out goodbyes over his shoulder as he left to speak with Severus.

Harrison barely noticed as the blond left, mentally penning the letter to Grizelda Marchbanks about their NEWTs. He didn’t have much time to wrestle control of the girls from Lily before she shipped them off. He also needed to contact his friends at the bank. They would be able to help him in his plotting, and plot they would.

Chapter 25

“How soon can all of this be done?” Harrison asked firmly, once more in the office of his beloved Account Manager, Griphook. He was both excited and nervous. This had to work.

Sensing his charge’s anxiety, Griphook let out a rare, razor-sharp grin. “The contract will be drawn up by the end of next week. It goes without saying that this level of subterfuge will require some finesse, particularly due to the fact that your ‘target’ is said to be well-educated, if not by the school, then certainly by her ex-husbands.”

Harrison all but melted into the chair, he sighed so much. “Thank you, Griphook. You can’t possibly know how much this means to me.” He sat back up properly. “The instant she signs, I’d like to offer each of the persons responsible for writing the contract a hundred galleons. Two hundred for yourself, as you’ll actually have to get her to comply. Oh, I’d also like to have vaults set up for all of them. Do you have any ideas for that?”

Griphook’s grin grew. “For your Heirs, I would advise two vaults each. One for their education, as well as one for learning.”

“Huh?” Harrison asked blankly. “How are education and learning different?”

“Giving children access to great deals of money from a young age is often detrimental to the understanding of the value of money. It is my suggestion that they each receive a small monthly stipend, or allowance, if you will, to teach them how to limit spending, whilst encouraging independence.”

Thinking for a moment, Harrison’s eyes bulged. “But that’ll be twelve vaults! Wait, what about one vault with enough to pay for all their educations, then the learning vaults for each? I know they can’t be filled now, but I would like my sisters’ education money to come from the Hufflepuff vaults. My twins education should come from the Peverell vaults. The learning vaults… I suppose we could use the Potter accounts?”

“Might I make a suggestion?”

“Yes, please,” Harrison replied, relieved. He would use all of the help he could get.

“Your sisters’ vault balances, and when the time comes, your Heirs' vaults might be best handled by age. For instance, you said the youngest was a year old?” When Harrison nodded, Griphook continued. “She will have no need for money, though the elder children will. The older they become, the more you add to the vaults.”

“That makes perfect sense!” Harrison said happily. “Do you have any suggestions on how much would be appropriate?” He rattled off their ages quickly.

“As certain birthdays are important milestones in the magical world, I would advise two to five galleons a month for the two youngest. After the seventh birthday, increase the balance to seven galleons. Each birthday, add another galleon or two. Upon the fifteenth birthdays, bring the total to fifty galleons per month. Allowances are one thing, but most magically raised children are expected to begin finance training at fifteen, as they are near their magical majority. Many families make edited copies of their own finance records to see how the children fare handling ‘real money’, despite not actually making or changing investments.”

“That’s a wonderful idea! Let’s do that!”

“Very well, Harrison. I will see to it immediately, and the proper forms will be ready to sign the same day as the contract for her.”

The venom at which Griphook said the last word made Harrison smirk. “Oh, but you’re absolutely sure that as long as she signs, we won’t have to take it to the Ministry? I can’t see Fudge cheering about this.”

He was completely aware of how odd the whole situation was. For Merlin’s sake, he wasn’t even sixteen yet, but well on his way to having twins. On top of that, legally adopting his own sisters, one of which was nearly his age. The only reason he’d truly decided to take on the responsibility was because between his own parents and the twins’ family, there was nothing they couldn’t prepare for. Without that support system, he doubted he’d ever be able to see his sisters again. Who knew where they’d end up? For all he knew, the ‘mystery paramours’ would whisk them away to locations unknown and refuse contact. They might have even been kept from one another, which would have been truly heinous and cruel.

“Any documentation will be magically sent to the records office at the Ministry, though I happen to know only one human works there, and that is only for appearances. The employee, Mr. Blanchard, is considered a ‘supervisor’, as the files are all sorted automatically, via enchantment. The man has never been able to hold a job, and the position was created out of pity and annoyance, as no one would work with him. A great deal of the time, he does not even show up. Nepotism at its finest.”

At that, Harrison laughed. “You’re just a wellspring of knowledge, aren’t you? Okay, I think that’s everything, then. I’ll see you the minute she leaves the office.”

Griphook nodded sharply as Harrison heaved himself out of the chair, and bid the young Lord goodbye.

 

Harrison was much calmer upon his exit. Now, he just had to get back to Hogsmeade and find Alexander. Though, how he was supposed to do that… he had no idea. Harrison had absolutely no idea what the man looked like. Despite sending a short note to confirm a noon meeting at the Hog’s Head Inn, there was no way to know who he was looking for.

Just as the dusty mantle clock read five to noon, Lucius strode into the bar, the picture of pureblood elegance in fine acromantula silk robes and silver jewellery. He meant to cast secrecy spells, but felt them wash over him within a few feet of the table.

“How are you, Harrison?” He asked gently. “Your mother tells me you’ve been delighting in some of the more… trying symptoms of pregnancy.”

Harrison groaned, slumping into his father’s side. “I’m losing my ruddy mind! Yesterday I poured loads of hot sauce in my grape juice!” He fully understood the slight green tint of Lucius’ face. “I know it’s supposed to be disgusting, but it was fantastic at the time. My brain is so scrambled that I honestly forgot how to tie my shoes for a minute. I just sat there, staring at my shoes like a moron. Fred, gem that he is, didn’t say a word, just tied them for me.”

Lucius muttered some cliches about his hormones, whilst hugging his son close. They stayed glued together until the bell over the door jingled.

Okay, maybe identifying Alexander wasn’t going to be the difficult task Harrison had imagined. Though the short stature of ‘Umbridge’ wasn’t uncommon for females, seeing a male that general shape and size was a bit more noticeable. That and the fact that the man at the door seemed to be able to actually see them behind the parsel wards that clinched it.

Harrison nodded to the man and waited patiently for him to take a seat. “Alexander?”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, my Lord,” he said, clearly relieved. The overly girlish tone of his voice had been morphed into something more natural, and slightly gruff. It suited him well.

“Of course,” Harrison replied, taking a mental note of how different, yet similar Alexander looked compared to the last time they’d seen each other. Gone was the pink nightmarish clothing, and in their place was a set of respectable deep blue robes with muted yellow trim. The ridiculously curled mop was replaced by shorter brown locks without all of the greys, and a natural soft wave. While his face hadn’t changed much, the pink makeup was no more, and he now sported a shocking amount of facial hair. “I can honestly say I’m glad to truly meet you for the first time.”

Alexander huffed a laugh and tugged on his new beard. “It’s been an experience, to be sure. Lord Malfoy, it’s a pleasure to see you well.”

Pleasantries aside, they placed their drink orders with the oddly familiar barman and sipped away at their tea in amicable silence. When Harrison scrunched his nose at the taste, Lucius pulled his hood up and slipped out of the table, only to return with hot sauce and a grimace of his own as the young man added a disturbing amount to his cup.

“I would first like to offer my congratulations, my Lord,” Alexander said, pointedly staring at the offending cup. To his credit, he did not outwardly display any sort of revulsion.

“Thank you,” Harrison said, picking up a questionable looking spoon and spelling it clean to stir his drink.

“You know, it’s odd. Because of my pregnancy coming out at your trial, I’m perfectly aware that it is now public knowledge, but no one has bothered me about it. I’m not even trying to hide it anymore. It’s actually kind of nice, you know, being left alone for the most part.”

“You mean you’re surprised that a bunch of children aren’t rushing to harass the single most politically powerful person in all of Europe?” Lucius arched his brow in a mildly mocking way. “Besides, whilst the public may know, you’ve yet to make a formal announcement, which prevents anyone with basic manners from approaching you, or the family as a whole.”

“Well, if you say it like that, it sounds fairly obvious,” he muttered back, huffing quietly.

Without the pretentious, high pitched ‘ahem!’ thing she used to do, neither father nor son realised that Alexander had cleared his throat until the second time.

“Our apologies, Alexander,” Lucius said genially. “Please, continue.”

“If my Lord wishes,” Alexander said, looking to Harrison for, what they assumed to be, permission.

“Of course,” Harrison said immediately. “I was really hoping you could explain the Slughorn angle in all of this, to be completely honest. It just doesn’t make any sense. That and the vassal bit.”

The short man’s brows rose minutely. “To begin at the beginning,” he said lightly, though his eyes grew dark. “Horace Slughorn is nothing short of a social climber. He always has been. Never wanted to make a name for himself, but rather tie his name to those in power.” He paused to take a drink and a breath before going on. “A year before I was born, he was in the right place at the right time, sparing the former Lady Malfoy from the fate of an ill-created potion that would have rendered her disfigured. Never having had a knack for potions, I don’t fully understand the circumstances. At one point, he confided in me that there were embargos on certain ingredients from Lithuania, I believe. Some of those ingredients were necessary to make a specific type of blood glamour potion. She took the risk and purchased them from the Black Market. Had she ingested the potion as it was, her body would have forcibly aged to that of a hundred and seventy year old. At the time, she was only in her thirties, so you could see how it would have ruined her life. It was pure chance that my f-Horace had been invited to a luncheon at Malfoy Manor that day. He said he’d never seen a potion the colour hers had, and inquired about its properties. When all was said and done, they offered him a boon, as it was not severe enough to warrant a Life Debt. She would have lived her full life, though in the body of someone several times her age.

“Regardless, he waited a few months to call in his favour. In that time, the former Lady Malfoy discovered she was expecting.” He looked at Lucius pointedly. “Horace used the information to convince the pair to set up a betrothal contract between you and I.”

To his credit, Harrison’s father did not look anything but mildly surprised.

“I had no idea,” Lucius said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Yes, well,” Alexander put his hand up, alerting the barkeep to bring him another drink that he quickly tossed back. “He quickly found someone to carry his so-called ‘heir’, though he had yet to earn an actual title. The moment I was born, and he found out I was a male, his hopes of a contract were destroyed. My birth name, Bruscar, quite literally translated to ‘garbage’ in English. Wonderful man, wasn’t he? In any case, he lied to Lord and Lady Malfoy, telling them that he had just produced a lovely young daughter. There was a great deal of lying to keep them from meeting me until I was a few years old, when it was safe enough to alter my gender without killing me. Though the ritual did not kill me, it made me deeply unappealing as a female. Transition rituals are not meant for such small children, and often come with side effects, as our born bodies are still developing into our born genders. Certain, shall we say, attributes that developed did so far too early, and were malformed at best. Upon my eleventh birthday, the Malfoy’s requested a medical evaluation, as was their right. The fact that I had received an invitation to Hogwarts was proof enough that I had magic, but they needed to make sure that I would be able to carry on their bloodline. Armed with proof that I would never be able to reproduce, they backed out of the contract. As it was not a marriage contract, there were no repercussions for them, but Horace was livid. He believed that I had done something to deliberately hurt myself, though I have no idea how he came to such a conclusion.”

Harrison bit back the nausea that had been slowly creeping up on him for most of Alexander’s story. What the hell was wrong with their parents? Lily and Slughorn were monsters. Social climbing arses, who never wanted children, but bore them as disposable pawns in their reaches for the Malfoy title. It was disgusting!

A delicate piece of silver silk appeared in front of his face, bearing the Malfoy crest, with L.A.M. embroidered in shining black thread.

“Sorry,” Harrison muttered, wiping his eyes with the handkerchief. “In some ways, your story is a bit too familiar. He started hurting you after that, didn’t he?” It didn’t take a genius to recognise the way Alexander’s jaw flexed or how his hands balled into white-knuckled fists, or the way he stopped making eye contact with either of them. He did it far too often himself not to notice.

Alexander’s eyes widened. Then widened further when Lucius pulled his son close and kissed the top of his raven locks.

“I cannot imagine your father was overly pleased when I had, in fact, married a man.” Lucius sighed. Whilst he could not imagine marrying any other, he ached for Alexander. All of the pain that was inflicted needlessly on the assumption that he had been born entirely straight. Even with magic, there was no way to test for sexuality. Because of that, a man had been magically altered with what could easily be considered to be devastating physical malformation. “It is truly a sign of maturity that you do not appear to hold my family in contempt.”

Waving it off, Alexander seemed to find words once more. “Until Healer Thortac removed the magic that bound me so tightly, I did. After the cleansing, I began speaking with a Mind Healer. For the first month, I had daily meetings. After that, I felt comfortable enough to go once a week. More time passed, and I was eventually able to write to you, my Lord. I know where the blame lies now, and it was never with your family. You know, despite having no obligation to do so, they gave that man an extremely generous sum of money for backing out of the contract. Ten thousand galleons, if memory serves. They didn’t have to do that. The former Lord and Lady were good, generous people.”

Lucius smiled sadly. “It breaks my heart that they were unable to meet the next generations of the Malfoy name. I know that they would be proud.”

“Would you mind if I asked you something that’s… really not my business?” Harrison didn’t know what possessed him to ask, but… Alexander nodded after a brief hesitation.

“Have you ever been able to have any kind of meaningful relationships, with, you know... everything? Not romantic, but in general? You don’t have to answer!” He didn’t think anyone should have to live a life wholly devoid of love. That was what created Dark Lords, not inherent evil.

“Harrison,” Lucius groaned. “Despite allowing an escape route, so to speak, given Alexander’s magically recognised oath, it would be rather difficult for him to refuse to answer a direct question.”

Looking at the man in question, Harrison was shocked to see Alexander breathing slowly, his eyes tightly shut.

“Okay, sorry,” Harrison said, nose scrunched. “Forget I asked. Really. I was just hoping you were alright. That maybe you’re finally being looked after.”

“Are you, my Lord?” Alexander asked, tension leaving his body.

“I am,” he replied easily. “Sometimes a bit too much, but I like it.”

A light chime sounded, and Lucius startled. “Unfortunately, gentlemen, our time today has ended. Harrison, you need to get back to school and I am sure your guest has other things to attend to as well.”

“Not particularly, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

Harrison smiled at Alexander and stood. “I can honestly say that it was a pleasure to meet you, Alexander.”

“Thank you, my Lord.” He said, his head dipping in a bow. “If you have a need for anything, please, seek me out.”

After shaking hands, and another bow from Alexander, Lucius walked his son back toward the castle.

About halfway there, Harrison stopped. “I forgot to ask about that vassal nonsense. What I have to do, what he has to do, that kind of thing.”

“Let’s discuss that tomorrow,” Lucius said, mouth quirking into a slight smirk. “I have meetings much of the day, but if you, one of the twins, or one of your elves could apparate me into the Chamber at, say, five o’clock, we can discuss it together.”

“How much of a family meeting is this going to be?” Harrison asked, wanting to know if any more apparition arrangements needed to be made.

“You may invite whomever you wish,” Lucius said simply. “Many of them will already know-”

“Draco doesn’t,” Harrison interjected, making sure to tell the twins to invite him along for tomorrow. Knowing him, he’d forget. “We talked about it when I got the letter from Alexander. All he could say was it sounded suspect.”

“Then he shall come. I can’t believe I hadn’t taught him about vassal bonds. I could have sworn I did.”

“If I have to learn too much more, I think my brains are going to implode,” Harrison groused. Reading and talking, talking and reading, yet he still didn’t seem to actually know anything!

“Don’t let that happen,” Lucius said, his hand on his son’s shoulder. “I’ve no idea how to properly season Brain Soup, and I’ve no desire to learn.”

Chapter 26

The usual suspects were all there, lounging casually on the sofas and armchairs in the Chamber of Secrets. Harrison, the twins, Draco and Angelina took up the largest sofa for themselves. Severus, Lucius and Bellatrix took another, whilst Neville and Luna shared an overstuffed armchair. The blonde was waving her hands around Neville’s head, seemingly ignoring the rest of them.

“Before I begin, does anyone know anything about vassal bonds?” Lucius stood and smoothed his robes, sliding easily into ‘lecture-mode’ as Draco called it.

Neville cleared his throat hesitantly and raised a shaky hand.

Rather than poke fun at the young man, Lucius nodded encouragingly.

“Vassal bonds are second only to Life Debts for magical severity,” he mumbled, speaking louder only when Luna nudged him. “The difference between the two are that Vassal Bonds are completely voluntary, on the part of the vassal. Life Debts are unavoidable in that you can’t refuse to owe, or be owed. Vassals choose their Liege Lord, essentially removing all choices from their own hand to that of their Liege Lord… that’s all I know.”

“Well done, Mr. Longbottom,” Lucius said, appraisingly. “The Dowager has taught you well, though I do have to correct one, small detail. Vassal bonds are just as magically binding as Life Debts, in that once entered, the only escape is death. The vassal essentially gives over full control of their lives. This includes everything from employment, to relationships, to where one chooses to live.”

“In some cases,” Severus said, placing a long finger to his chin. “It can include such things as where one is allowed to spend their time.”

“Wait a minute!” Harrison cried out, horrified. “I don’t want control over his entire bloody life!”

“I don’t think you have a choice, Harrison,” Draco said, brows knit in thought. “That letter said ‘witnessed by the Goblin Crown’. You literally can’t refuse.”

“So, what, Alexander can’t get a job without my say-so, or date, or anything?! That’s ridiculous! Why would anyone volunteer for that?! It’s mental!”

“Who’s that?” Neville asked, the only one out of the loop on the ‘Umbridge thing’.

“Alexander No-Name is a wonderful, but broken man, in desperate need of a family.” Luna stared at the ceiling as she twisted her cork necklace between deft fingers. “The best part of families is that they’re never too full. There’s always room for one more. They’re like blibbering humdingers in that way, always growing in number, never caring where the new ones come from. Simply accepted.”

Having spoken with most of their professors, George and Fred began seeing them after dinner every single day to bone up on all of the material that might be covered on their NEWTs. They didn’t want to deal with McGonagall more than necessary, so they self-studied that course. Over the weekend, they spent three hours with one professor, took an hour to blow off some steam or have a bite to eat, then turn around and see the next professor for three more hours.

During that time, Harrison lamented their lack of time together and was rather grumpy as a result. He knew that they would be out of school very soon, but it didn’t stop him from spending nearly every free moment with Severus, who loved his son dearly, but was also now suffering from a serious lack of sleep. 

In short, no one was particularly happy.

It wasn’t until the fifth of May that anyone got any real sleep. Whether or not Severus slipped sleeping draughts into the twins' nightly tea was anyone's guess. The duo had fallen asleep surrounded by piles of books and scrolls of parchment in the sitting area of their lavish rooms.

Harrison took one look at his snoozing husbands and levitated them into bed and immediately crawled in between them, nodding off almost before his head hit the pillows.

 

The morning of their impending NEWTs was, appropriately, cold and rainy, as evidenced by the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall. It didn’t stop the trio's nervous excitement however, and they tucked into their breakfasts.

As luck would have it, none of them had Transfiguration that day, so there was no need to make up another excuse for missing McGonagall's class. The other professors knew where they would be, and were already planning excuses for their absences during meals.

There was little fanfare when they left, as the rest of the staff merely nodded in encouragement and Professor Flitwick discretely gave them a thumbs-up when they headed for a secluded corridor to apparate.

Having cast notice-me-not charms on themselves, the trio strode toward the examination rooms without hassle.

Harrison checked the pocket watch his parents had given him for luck, for about the fiftieth time in the last few minutes. It was exactly four minutes past the hour when the ministry official, Grizelda Marchbanks, overseeing the exams came out to collect them.

“Apologies for your wait, gentlemen,” the woman said, crooking her bony finger in their direction. She led them into a room with a dozen desks, spaced far apart.

Within ten minutes, two more people entered the room and stood near Harrison, Fred and George. At precisely 10:15, they were instructed to take their seats.

The instant Harrison touched the back of his chair to pull it out, an excruciating pain ripped through his entire being. Matching shouts of pain sounded out half a second after Harrison collapsed on the floor. George and Fred followed suit, dropping to the ground like lead.

 

“…They’re non negotiable!”

“Anti-cheating…”

“...Bonds can be manipulated,”

With a pained whimper, George was the first to wake. He gaped at the room in horror. “What happened?” Large cracks littered the walls and floors, furniture upended, parchment scrolls and writing instruments were everywhere. A hand gripped his tightly.

“Hey,” he said softly, carding his fingers through Harrison’s hair. “Love, I think it’s time to wake up. We’ve got an audience.” Taking a somewhat less delicate approach with his brother, he swatted at his twin’s leg. The light graze was enough to wake Fred.

“Dear, Gods,” Harrison gasped. “What the hell happened in here? It looks like a tornado went through the room!”

“That, my foul-mouthed progeny, was you three. Again.”

The trio looked up to see Lucius, who was standing with a group of ageing witches and wizards of the Educational Department.

“So, what was that?” Harrison asked again. “It felt like someone cast crucio on me, and then I can’t remember anything else.”

“The seats in the exam room are layered with over a dozen different types of anti-cheating wards and spells,” Lucius said, letting out a sigh. “Due to the combination of spells, it managed to block your bond entirely. Grizelda informed us that the second you touched the chair, all three of you screamed and collapsed.”

A jolt of panic flooded him as Harrison scrambled upright. He put both hands on his stomach and prayed to every deity that ever existed that he could feel the familiar flutter of his babies.

“It’s alright, Harrison,” Lucius said, taking his hands gently. “You’ve already been given every diagnostic scan that any of us have ever heard of.”

The trio let out sighs of relief, Harrison more so when he felt the slightest movement.

“So, what are we supposed to do?” He asked, trying to figure it out. “It’s not like we can just say, ‘I promise not to cheat’ and have anyone believe us. At the same time, we can’t be subjected to those wards again.”

“If you are all confident in your abilities,” Lucius began thoughtfully. “Make a vow. Swear not to seek answers from each other, but do not swear on your magic. Harrison, without magic, your body could not withstand pregnancy.”

“Swear on this,” Grizelda interjected, finagling something out of one of her many deep pockets, and placed it on the table. In all honesty, it looked like a well-groomed pile of hair, about the size of a softball.

“What is that?” George asked, staring at the little brown fluff ball in curiosity.

“I don’t know,” Grizelda replied, shrugging. “Its name is Howard. I found it in my owl’s cage, and the only thing it will eat is newspaper. I can’t even get it to eat regular parchment or wrapping paper, just newspaper. Perhaps it has something to do with the ink? In any case, your vow, gentlemen?”

The trio shared a hesitant look, but agreed, speaking in unison. “We swear on the life of Howard-” here, they pointed their wands directly at Howard the puffball, just in case there was someone named Howard nearby. “-not to use our mental bonds to cheat on our exams, or to cheat in any other manner. So mote it be.”

“Now!” Grizelda said, clapping her age-gnarled hands together once. She scooped up Howard and moved him to the examiner’s table and added a ward that would let it run around, but not leave the table. “Seats! You’ve got an exam to take!”

“Bit of an odd duck, isn’t she?” Fred quietly asked no one in particular. “I like her!”

Lucius scoffed as he and the others made their way to the examiner’s table to keep an eye on them all.

 

About an hour into the first exam, George asked if Harrison was allowed to get up for a bit, citing back pain from the uncomfortable chairs as his reasoning. So, every so often, Grizelda levitated Harrison’s desk so he could continue the exams, standing when necessary. Harrison was extremely careful not to let his eyes wander as he got up, but firmly locked on his exams. Howard was too cute to have to die over a simple mistake.

Finally, finally , at around six in the evening, the trio dried the ink on their last pages and let them roll up. As cramping hands were flexed and massaged, the scrolls zoomed up to the examiner’s table. That was it. They were done. Now all that was left to do was wait.

Grizelda gently poked the extremely still Howard, who appeared to be dead, but it let out a strange whistle and she nodded in approval. “It was only sleeping. No cheating took place.”

“Can I?” Fred asked, pointing at Howard with a grin on his tired face.

The woman hummed for a moment. “Wh-? Oh, I don’t mind. Howard is very affectionate and whistles when according to his mood. That one he let out a minute ago was high-pitched because he was annoyed. The happier he is, the lower the sound. Strange thing, that.”

Fred picked up the now bouncing puffball and tickled it.

George leaned over his shoulder and tickled the other side, neither having any idea what part they were touching, but low, pitchy whistles had them continuing happily.

Rolling his eyes at the display, Harrison turned his attention back to Grizelda. “How soon will we be able to get the results, Madam Marchbanks?”

“Well,” she said, tapping her slightly fuzzy chin. “Most people don’t take NEWTs so close to the end of the year, choosing to take them at the regularly scheduled time, but… since there are only the five of you… no later than tomorrow evening.”

Honestly, they’d forgotten about the other people taking the exams.

“Perfect!” Harrison said, a jolt of excitement racing down his spine. That would be just in time for Griphook to have Lily sign the contract. “Could I have an extra set of the results for all three of us sent to my account manager, Master Griphook Diamondblade, at Gringotts?”

Grizelda’s eyes took on a mischievous glint. “Smart boy,” she said, smirking. “No one can dispute the Goblin’s reliability, not without causing a war, at any rate.”

Tapping the side of his nose knowingly, Harrison returned the smirk. “We thank you for your time,” he said, making sure the twins gave Howard back before heading for the door. “Let’s go sleep for a week.”

 

By the time they got back to the castle, dinner was over, so they asked for a meal to be brought to their room in the dungeons. Harrison called for his personal elves after they finished their meal, and asked that they pack up all of their belongings, excluding a set of pyjamas, a change of clothes for the following day, and their school bags. It was all to be taken to their house and put away properly. They were not going to spend any unnecessary time in the castle, though all three would miss it greatly. It was unfortunate, but they had bigger things to deal with than their desire to muck about in Hogwarts just a bit longer.

A knock on their bedroom door had Fred hopping off the bed and answering the knock with a rhythmic one of his own.

“You idiot, let me in!” Draco’s voice called, though was muffled by the heavy door.

Fred rolled his eyes and pulled it open. “You’re a fun one, aren’t you?” He asked sarcastically.

Brushing past the redhead, Draco moved toward Harrison, an envelope in his hand. “You really need to do something about those owl wards. I don’t particularly enjoy acting as a delivery service.” Rather than hand over the envelope and leave, he tossed the missive at his brother and flopped himself on the foot of the bed.

As Harrison sat up, knowing he would be hard-pressed to find that perfectly comfy spot again, he grumbled in annoyance. Without even looking at the envelope, he cracked the plain wax seal. “Oh, it’s from Alexander.”

“Well?” Draco prompted after a minute of silence. “What does he want?”

“Permission to find a job,” Harrison said, frowning. “He said his savings would last him for another month or two, but prefers not to push it. He’s even left a list of his work history, as well as jobs he’s qualified for. Wait a minute…” he skimmed the rest of the letter, a smile forming. It wasn’t the fact based information that gave him the idea, but the list of interests and hobbies he’d included at the end, likely to give further options for employment.

“I’ve never heard of that,” George said, looking to his twin for confirmation.

Shaking his head, Fred focussed on Harrison. “What is it?”

Harrison was surprised, but at the same time, not really, that the magical world had no options for such a form of entertainment. “What about you, Draco?”

Draco blinked. “What in Merlin’s pants are you talking about, Potter? You haven’t even said anything.”

“Wh-? Oh, right, bond. Sorry, Draco.” Harrison sighed, rubbing a hand over his tired face. “Have you ever heard of a night club?”

“The only club I know of that takes place at night is the old Death Eater meetings,” Draco replied, at a loss. “What are you getting at?”

“Whoa, no!” Harrison was awake now. “I didn’t mean anything like that! A night club is a place for adults, where there’s music, sometimes live, and dancing. There’s also drinking, but that’s only if you want, of course. It’s just fun. There are even versions of it for teenagers, but those are strictly non-alcoholic. Dim room, light shows, loud music, dancing with lovers, friends, or even strangers if you like. Sometimes those clubs have special theme nights, or depending on how risque the place is, scantily clad dancers in cages for entertainment.”

“They keep people in cages?!” Draco yelped, horrified. “And muggles do this for fun?!”

“The cages aren’t locked!” Harrison defended. “It’s just a little show to get people in the party mood. The people in cages dance for a while, then trade off with someone else when they get tired. Besides, I already told you that only some clubs do that. It’s not a rule or anything!”

“So, that’s your big idea?” The blond asked, brow raised. “What’s the point?”

“Well, we could make it a classy restaurant by day, so that there are a bunch of jobs that could be provided, then after the restaurant closes for the night, at say, nine or ten, then open up a different floor for the club. Those usually open at ten or so, and stay open until anywhere between two and five in the morning. We’d close for a few hours, so there’s time to clean up and get everything set up for the following morning or afternoon.”

“O…kay?” Draco was still confused. “What does that have to do with anything though?”

Harrison held up the letter in disgust. “The list of jobs that Alexander is able to get is abhorrent. Most of the options are for maintenance or menial work. No one is going to trust him to do anything that isn’t grunt work because of his past. He’s got twenty years of marketable experience, with absolutely nothing to show for it! That isn’t right! All of the nonsense he’s had to put up with working at the ministry, managing schedules, arranging events, keeping track of dozens of employees, these are all useful training for a hundred different jobs, and he can’t get any of them! It’s just wrong!”

“So you’re going to buy him a business?! Are you mad?” Draco asked, eyes practically bulging out of his head. “Our parents would skin you alive!”

“I wouldn’t be giving it to him,” Harrison replied, rolling his eyes. His brother was ridiculous. “I’d have him run the place. That’s basically what he was doing at the ministry anyway, so it makes sense.”

“And opening a business would be great for his portfolio, wouldn’t it?” George added slyly. “To think, the magical world has never seen anything like it before, and the muggleborn and muggle-raised kids would be lined up for a chance at a place built specifically for pure fun. If there were days specific for underaged customers only, those in Hogwarts would spread the word so fast on just what a night club is, all the students would be chomping at the bit for a chance to have a night out without their parents.”

“And that’s why we would have a manager,” Harrison jumped in. “To make sure that while the teens could have fun, they won’t be totally unsupervised, just not bothered by their parents. This is perfect, and I think I should talk to our dad about this. He’s a businessman first and foremost. He’d be able to help so much with logistics and legalities!”

“Probably,” Draco mused, running a hand over his jaw in thought. “The possibilities are pretty much endless. Most ages are already accounted for, in regards to clientele. You could have theme nights, celebrity guests, live musical performances, and even have the option to rent the place out for private functions during the day.”

“Yes!” The twins cried out happily.

“Alright, let’s think about this logically,” Draco continued, rummaging around his brother’s desk for writing supplies. What he found instead confused him greatly. Holding up a strange, floppy book, held together by extremely thin metal tubes spun into a long spiral. “What the hell is this?”

Harrison rolled his eyes and walked over to the blond. “This,” he said, taking the ‘strange floppy book’, and opening it. “Is a notebook. This one in particular is being used for something else, but I have others you can use. It’s how muggles keep their notes in order, as they don’t use parchment. What they use is called paper, and it comes from treated wood.” He pulled one of the lower drawers and took out another notebook, this one having a green cover.

Draco stopped him before he could shut the drawer. “The green one is fine, but I’ll need several. One for costs for the club, costs for the restaurant, staffing, suppliers, bookkeeping, entertainment for both parts, adverts for both, contracts for the goblins to run the places, magical maintenance-”

“Okay, okay, wait,” Harrison said, shaking his head in astonishment. He had no idea how much work would go into something like this, but it was an incredible opportunity. He grabbed several multi-subject notebooks from the bottom of the pile. “I’ve also got some more ideas for you. We’ll need a massive location, like five stories, plus at least one underground floor. I’ve got a million properties to choose from.”

“Alright,” Draco said, flipping through the notebooks, appreciating the firmer pages that sectioned each bit off. Muggles really could be ingenious at times. He paused for a moment. “Say, Scarhead?”

“Hmm?” Harrison hummed, looking up.

“What sort of businesses cater to entertainment in the muggle world? Ones that could be incorporated into this building, I mean. This could be huge!” He exclaimed, mind whirring a million miles per hour. “We could call it the Velvet Rope! It makes people think of exclusivity, and that would automatically make people feel special.”

Harrison nodded in appreciation. “Okay, so for muggle entertainment. Movie theatre, arcade, go-karts, ten pin, skating rink (Sunday-Wednesday, ice/ Thursday-Saturday, roller), a food court, paintball. For adults, you could have spas, cocktail lounges, class-based restaurants, shooting range, billiards, cigar lounges.”

“We’d have to set up some sort of security, so that kids can’t get to the shooting ranges,” Fred added, thinking of what horrific accidents could occur.

“What if you made it to where you had to have special wristbands to get in that would allow you into certain areas, based on what you pay for, and age, of course.” George added, deep in thought. “Like for kids, they could be yellow for ten and under. That would allow them access to the arcade, movie theatre, the skating rinks. Eleven to fourteen could have orange bands that give access to the kids club, go karts, and the yellow access areas. Fifteen and sixteen gives full access to all ‘kid areas’, but can include billiards and the spa with limitations. Special markers can be put on wristbands for kids staying with adults.”

“This is incredible!” Draco cried out. “Nothing like this has ever been seen before! We’ll all be rich!”

“Draco,” Harrison dead-panned. “We’re already rich.”

All Draco could do was roll his eyes. “Of course we are,” he replied flatly. “But that money was given to us. This will be earned, you pillock. There’s a world of difference between a rich layabout and being an entrepreneur. Every Malfoy in history adds to the family coffers in some way or another. It’s why we’re so wealthy and allows us to carry on the legacy. If I chose not to work, sure, I’d still live well, but I’d be seen as a disappointment to society as well as our family.”

“Perfect,” Harrison said, nodding. “Okay, see what you can come up with, bare basics, take it to dad. I’ll take a copy of your notes to Gringotts tomorrow, as I have a meeting there after lunch anyway.”

“I can’t have a goblin-ready business plan by lunch tomorrow!” Draco yelped, astounded at his brother’s insanity.

“You don’t have to have a full business plan, you git. Just a rough idea, so that when we do have everything mapped out, they’ll already know what we’re up to, and can likely help with any things we’ve missed.” Harrison rolled his eyes.

Chapter 27

Finishing up their lunches, Harrison and the twins were getting ready to leave. They went back to their rooms to get Draco’s notebooks. Of course, they could have summoned the things, but it was always easier to leave the castle if they weren’t apparating in front of the entire student body.

“Make sure you tell them that I’m going to need at least a month to get a full plan together!” Draco huffed, still annoyed at having to submit such a shoddy proposal on such short notice. Regardless, the clearly exhausted blond handed over three completely full notebooks.

“Draco, it’s fine. I already told you-”

“Yes, I heard you last night,” Draco groaned, deliberately cutting his brother off. “And I don’t care. If this is anything less than exemplary, they won’t take any future business proposals seriously! Unlike you, I have aspirations!”

Harrison sighed, having heard Draco make the same complaint for more than twelve hours now. “For the love of Merlin, do you want to come with us? I have some other business to take care of first, but you’ll be able to ‘plead your case’ to whomever will be dealing with this. Just keep in mind you’d be missing your afternoon classes.”

“Fine,” Draco grumbled, getting up from his work station. “Give me two minutes. I’ll need to wash my face, because someone decided it would be a good idea to give me an impossible task, and I had to stay up all night! Handing over sub-par work is bad enough, but I must look a fright. That is simply unacceptable.”

“Then you’d better get moving, because we’re leaving in exactly two minutes.” Harrison decided to sit on the sofa whilst he waited, knowing full well that even only washing his face, Draco would take at least five minutes, and that was only if they were lucky. It was fine. Their meeting wasn’t set to begin for eleven minutes anyway, but if Harrison told his brother the truth, he’d move much more slowly and they would surely be late. Of the many things that annoyed Harrison to no end, being late was near the top of that list.

Fred took it upon himself to slide under Harrison’s legs, and George sat on the other end, propping Harrison’s head in his lap to wait.

“Do you think she signed?” Harrison asked, not looking to either specifically for an answer.

“Logic would say yes,” George said, running his fingers through his lovely husband’s hair.

“If she’s half as self-serving as she seems, then she’ll sign.” Fred added with a firm nod.

“But what if she’s not?” Harrison wondered, hiding his worry to the best of his abilities. “Or worse, she tries to negotiate beyond-”

Fred smiled softly. “Love, you’ve already authorised your goblin friend to go up twenty-five percent if she argues. I can’t honestly think of a single person who would turn down four million galleons, much less five.”

“Besides,” George continued soothingly. “It’s not like she knows who she’s surrendering to. Also, if it doesn’t work, we’re going to make it look like she agreed and fled the country by any means necessary.”

“I love you two,” Harrison sighed, checking his watch. There was something so dignified about a beautiful pocket watch, as opposed to a simple tempus . 

Draco’s two minutes had extended to seven.

Picking up the legs in his lap, Fred slid off the sofa and stood at the entrance to the hall of dorms and started calling out. “Oh, Drakey-poo! You’re so pretty and pointy and wealthy and well-bred and-”

“Have you quite finished?!”

Harrison and George hid their amusement poorly, before laughing outright as Draco stormed out of the dorm hall and into the common room.

As the group made contact with each other, they vanished. In a flash, they were standing in the lobby of Gringotts.

To his credit, Draco shook his head rather than show his amazement at the apparition. Now, he’d seen it happen, even experiencing it on more than occasion, but it never ceased to amaze him how fluid and powerful his brother’s magic was. Well, his and the twins. He knew that he shouldn’t be jealous of their power, but it was difficult not to be. He and Harrison were twins, so it would stand to reason that their power would be similar. It doesn’t matter, he told himself. He had more than Harrison in some ways, though each coveted what the other had, though the negative aspects of what he wanted of Harrison’s were nowhere near worth it.

Having missed the greetings with the lower level clerk, Draco was pulled out of his musings as they were escorted to Harrison’s account manager’s office.

Draco was left gaping when, rather than properly greet the account manager, the first words out of Harrison’s mouth were, “Did it work?” And then the account manager smirked! What is happening? Speaking so casually, especially when that someone held so many high-ranking titles was bad enough, but to do so in front of the beings that handled their entire financial world?! He’s absolutely barking!

“Did you doubt me, Little Lord?” Griphook asked, lips quirked up in amusement.

Harrison’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and he flopped down onto one of the two chairs on the opposite side of the opulent mahogany desk. “Oh, thank Merlin,” he said, shaking his head. “By the way, did she give you any trouble? Did you have to give her the extra million? I don’t mind if you did, since it’s a drop in the bucket, but if she tried to fight-”

Griphook held up an aged hand, making Harrison stop talking. “Everything went accordingly, and she did not even attempt to fight for more, so the extra million was returned to the Peverel vault.”

“Where are the girls now?” Both Fred and George asked together.

“All is well,” Griphook said firmly. “The children are uninjured, but have been taken to the infirmary to await your arrival, though they were not told for whom they are waiting. That said, we have time to conclude our business before you collect them.”

Nodding numbly, Harrison cleared his throat. Dear Gods, he was now legally responsible for four children, with two more on the way! What the hell was he doing? It’s completely insane!

“Breathe, love. It’s going to be alright. We’ve got heaps of family that will only be too happy to help, yeah? We’re not doing this alone.”

“And remember, we’re saving them from being separated, and now they’ll have a big, crazy family too.”

As the twins stood behind Harrison, he leaned back, allowing his head to loll a bit. After a cleansing breath, he felt a little calmer. “Alright, so she signed over everything? No tricks or surprises?”

“None,” Griphook replied ferally. “In fact, the portkey should be depositing her in the formerly named ‘Potter Palace’ in Australia as we speak. Before she left, I had her rename the property, as I knew you would no longer want the connection. Potter Palace is now called Libérer Le Lys.” International portkeys took quite some time to complete their journeys based on distance, so going from London to Melbourne, Australia would take about twenty-five to thirty minutes of constant spinning. She was sure to be an absolute wreck by the time she arrived. How delicious.

“Did Lily even say goodbye to the girls?” Draco asked weakly. He and Lily had gotten along famously, and to find out that she was a terrible person was heartbreaking.

As he was less constrained to human emotion than the wizards, Griphook did not hesitate to break the young blond of his illusions. “No.”

“Okay,” Harrison said, shaking off the surge of anger he suddenly felt. “So now that she’s signed over everything, is there anything besides putting the ring on that I have to do? Papers to sign, anything like that?”

“No,” Griphook said. “If you are accepted as Lord Hufflepuff, you will be free to do as you wish. Now, whilst you deal with that, I understand you have a proposal?”

At that, Draco paled, but handed Griphook the muggle notebooks with little trepidation. “I apologise in advance, as I was not given ample time to come up with a full, detailed-”

Griphook shut him up with a glare and began flipping through the first book, the blue one with a rough draft of the entire plan. It was the others that contained an incomplete list of details.

When Harrison gasped softly, Draco dragged his eyes away from the goblin to his brother’s outstretched hand. Some of the rings were now missing, and in their place was a pure silver ring bearing the Hogwarts crest. “No house colours?”

“I suppose not,” Harrison replied, still awed by the ring.

“Wait, how did she sign over the Hufflepuff title? And for a few million galleons? Is that a joke? There is no way it’s worth that little!”

“It’s not,” Harrison agreed. “Not even close. See, as Lily’s ‘firstborn’, I was listed as the heir, so I was able to see that all of the founder’s lines were worth the exact same, which makes sense, if the money and everything was split to go into the school evenly. As it happened, Lily never took an inheritance test, since she thought she was a muggleborn. The truth is, purebloods like to throw away their squibs, so with nothing else to do, they went out into the muggle world. There’s no such thing as a real muggleborn. They’re descendants of squibs, and Lily came from the Hufflepuff line, who were thought to have died out about four hundred and eighty-six years ago. I traced her lineage back to a Hufflepuff squib and a Fawley squib. When those lines merged about fifty years ago, Lily was the only descendant born with enough magic to manifest.”

“Alright, but how did you get her to sign it over? It’s not as if she’s stupid. She would have seen something about the Hufflepuff line in the contract somewhere.”

“Not quite,” Griphook cut in, dropping the blue notebook on the desk. “With a touch of creative wording on my part, I was able to get her to sign over everything that was related to her blood, which was not limited to her children as she believed, but also her title.”

“That can’t be legal!” Draco cried out, aghast at the idea of being swindled out of his name and legacy.

“And yet, it is,” Fred said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “If she didn’t have the sense to look into an inheritance test, then she’s not half as smart as she likes people to think, now is she?”

“Can you imagine what having someone that daft being Lady Hufflepuff would mean? She’d destroy the school!” George added emphatically.

Draco sighed deeply. “I can’t believe it. How could she do all of this? I mean, abandoning her children? Who does that?”

At that, Harrison could only feel sympathy for his brother. “Look at it this way, Draco,” he said in what he hoped was a comforting manner. “She signed them over to someone, knowing that they had more than enough money to care for her children, if they were able to afford to give her four million galleons. That alone means she didn’t throw them away, but gave them a chance at a better life. And, there’s nothing stopping you from visiting her if you like. I mean, we already know where she lives and the contract didn’t say she couldn’t have contact with the rest of us, just the girls.”

Draco’s mouth hung open in shock. “How could you even suggest that I have a relationship with her, when she won’t have anything to do with her daughters?! What is wrong with you?! Those children are our sisters!”

“It was just an idea,” Harrison replied calmly. “Maybe you’ll change your mind in a few years. If you ever do, just let me or Griphook here know, yeah? We both know the location of- hang on! - she really renamed Potter Palace ‘Free the lily’?” Though his brother cared for Lily, Harrison’s hatred of the woman ramped up.

A wave of calm seeped through the bond, allowing Harrison to catch himself before his disgust could show. “Alright, Griphook, so the girls’ trust accounts have been activated, right? Now that she signed the contract?”

“Yes,” Griphook replied sharply. He was truly repulsed at how eager the woman was to sign over the care of her children to a perfect stranger. Her only hesitation had been to make sure that it was not Lord Malfoy or Lord Prince who was offering the deal. It was a very near thing, to avoid the whole mess and simply have her sent to the Goblin Mines for the rest of her magically elongated life. “Upon their majority, and proper proof of financial competency, each of your new wards will be given five million galleons, and upon their thirtieth birthdays, they will receive a further fifty million.”

“Wait a minute,” Draco cut in, brows knit. “Why would you withhold their inheritance like that? You’ve got billions, so it’s not like you’ll miss the money!”

“It has nothing to do with me losing the money,” Harrison sighed, not loving the explanation process. At least his husbands were able to glean the information directly from his mind. “Growing up where and how they did, not one of them has any concept of money. Yes, we will be having lessons, but Adalyn is already a teenager, so if they can live off of the five million galleons for thirteen years without declaring bankruptcy, which is more than enough, they’ll get the full inheritance. I’ve already made the stipulation that if they manage to have five million and one galleons or more by their thirtieth birthdays, I would double the inheritance, but they are not to know. Ever. It has to be something they do on their own.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Draco said, nodding his acceptance. “How soon are you going to start them on financial training?”

Griphook cleared his throat.

“Right,” Harrison said, giving his husbands the mental note to talk about that later. “I think it’s time we picked up the girls. Dobby and Eppie have already picked up the last of our things from the castle, and taken them to our house. One of them have already sent the appropriate documents to the appropriate people, officially removing us from school. Thank you again, Griphook, for everything. You know what, there’s a goblin made circlet in the primary Peverel vault with black opals on it. For all of your work, I would like to give it to you.”

“Very well,” he said simply. “With your consent, I would like to give it to my mate for our three hundredth anniversary, which falls on the third of October, next year. If you agree, I ask that it remain in your vault until then.”

“Absolutely,” Harrison agreed. “That’s really thoughtful. Have a good day, then. Bye!”

 

Forcing themselves to calm down, as all four were nervous to see the girls, they followed the familiar path to the infirmary.

Harrison gave a tentative knock, then quickly moved back, as the door opened outward.

Thortac pushed the massive door open and checked her watch. “Good, you’ve finished with Griphook sooner than anticipated.”

“Erm, yeah,” Harrison said awkwardly. “How have they been doing?”

“They are fine,” she replied with a sharp nod. “Amara and Alessandra are occupying themselves with training swords, and Adalyn is playing with the sausage.”

“The what?!” The four humans cried out, similarly aghast. Adalyn was only thirteen!

Thortac rolled her eyes. “You humans call them babbles, or some other such nonsense.”

“Babbles?” The twins asked, not bothering to hold back their laughter.

Letting out an amused huff, Harrison felt a little bit of the tension he carried melt away. “Thortac, they’re called babies.”

“What a ridiculous name,” she snapped, ushering them all inside.

As they entered the infirmary, they noticed that all but one of the beds were empty of patients. The only occupied bed held a bandage wrapped goblin, who, rather than be bothered with the girls, was correcting the stances and grips of Amara and Alessandra with a small amount of amusement.

“Harrison?” The group saw Adalyn staring at them in surprise. “What are you doing here? Is mum finished with her bank business yet?”

Oh, shit. Harrison realised that he hadn’t actually prepared for this conversation at all, but focussed on getting Lily the hell out of Europe.

“Hey, Little Red,” George said, taking a seat on the foot of the bed and picking Adelaide up. “And Littler Red.”

Adelaide looked between Fred and George with confusion. “No Fabby, no Giddy.”

“Since George has Lady occupied, and the sword-wielders are taken care of,” Harrison began, biting his lip nervously. “D’you think we could talk?”

Brows knit, Adalyn got up and followed Harrison and Fred over to a small sitting area.

“Okay, what’s going on?” She asked fearfully.

“I will explain, but can you tell me what you know about coming here today?” Harrison asked softly.

“Erm, not much,” she admitted. “I saw mum had a letter, but I could only read part of it. Everything after the first paragraph was too blurry to make any sense. All I read was that she was supposed to meet with someone called Griphooks, and that there was a business opportunity or something, and she had to bring us along.”

“Griphook is actually Thortac’s mate. I actually just found out that they’ve been bonded for two hundred and ninety-nine years.” Harrison mentally berated himself. That was unnecessary information. Oh, stalling. Right. “Alright, so… your m- Lily got that letter because I asked Griphook to see her. I… I found out some information that’s… not great, and I had to step in.”

“What information?” She asked, beginning to sound worried. “Did you find out who our father is?”

“Er, not quite,” Harrison replied helplessly. Well, he did know that James Potter was Adalyn’s father, but that information wasn’t exactly helpful at the moment. “Lily wasn’t sure who your fathers are, so… she was going to send you all to her most frequent… dates?”

Adalyn could only blink. “What?”

“In order to keep her from separating you all, I got her to sign you all over to us.” He didn’t need to mention that she sold them, or that she had no idea who would be adopting them, right?

The girl’s eyes turned cold. “So I was right?”

“What do you mean?” Harrison asked.

“That she was going to pawn us off on someone and go live her own life as soon as she got the chance. What did she take you for?”

Gaping, Harrison looked at his husband. Where was the sweet girl he’d met in the trunk?

“Do you really truly want complete honesty?” Fred asked seriously. “It’s not pretty.”

Leaning back in her chair, Adalyn crossed her arms and waited expectantly. “Go on.”

What else could Harrison do but tell her the truth? “There was a prophecy that mentioned a child born at the end of July. The Headmaster of Hogwarts, and supposed ‘Leader of the Light’, decided that since Lily was a muggleborn, therefore not dark at all, it had to be her child. That said, it wasn’t even Lily who was pregnant in the relationship, but Severus. Well, that didn’t sit well with the Headmaster’s plans, so he moved me from Severus to Lily, nearly killing all of us in the process. See, Draco and I were actually supposed to be twins, and I suppose we kind of are? I don’t really know now. Anyway, Dumbles separated us, not knowing about Draco. The rest of Severus’s pregnancy was difficult, and Draco was born nearly two months early. I, on the other hand, was born right on time to fit the prophecy. He made Lily believe that Severus and Lucius were dead, and that she needed to move in with James Potter for protection.” He stopped, not really wanting to explain further.

“Okay, and?” She prompted.

Fred continued the story for him. “Lily had Harrison, and people were made to think that James Potter was his father, which wasn’t too far off, as James blood adopted him. Lily and James lived in fear for a while, and at some point, she convinced him to sleep with her. James Potter really is your dad. Anyway, the story everyone heard was that Lily and James died in a conflict with a madman called Lord Voldemort. Now, whilst James did die in nineteen eighty-one, Lily obviously didn’t. After being put into the trunk, what happened was anyone’s guess, but she was already pregnant with you when she was locked up. Technically, we could find out who your sister’s fathers are, but we’d rather wait until they’re old enough to decide for themselves.”

“If we could skip the awkward pausing, that would be great,” she said, giving them an unimpressed glare.

“My parents were made to forget they were ever together, so Lucius found himself with the woman they thought was Draco’s mother, Narcissa Black, and Severus was forced into a teaching contract at Hogwarts, where he turned into a lonely, bitter man. I was shipped off to Lily’s abusive muggle family and raised with no knowledge of magic. I found out about my parents when Thortac healed me at the end of last summer. Since I didn’t have my vault key, her mate, Griphook, had me take a blood test that revealed the truth about my-our family.”

“It wasn’t until I called her out for spending all of her time with Severus and Lucius that anyone but me, Fred and George found out about any of you existing. She hadn’t told them about any of you. When they questioned her about it, she filed for an annulment, and told them of her plan to give you all to the men she most often… dated.” He had no idea if she knew anything about sex, and didn’t want to freak his sister out. “When Severus and Lucius heard that, they begged her not to, even trying to get custody of all of you, so that you wouldn’t be kept apart. They were heartbroken when she refused, but there was nothing they could do. So, when I heard about all of this, the twins and I decided that since we were all legal adults, we would leave school early and get her to sign you over to us without her knowing who she was dealing with. All she did was make sure that it wasn’t my parents who offered the deal, then signed the contract.”

“So, she dumped us?” Adalyn fumed. “What did she get out of it? You know, aside from getting rid of us.”

“Well,” Harrison sighed. “She got a Potter family property on another continent and four million galleons, but only if she never came back to the UK, or tried to contact any of us ever again. If she does that, the house reverts back to me, and she’ll be made to refund every knut. After that, she’ll be sent to the Goblin Mines for breaking one of their contracts.”

“You never break your word with a goblin,” Fred added.

For a while, Adalyn sat in silence.

Nearing ten minutes of quiet, Harrison finally cleared his throat. “We should get the girls and see our new home. My house elves have already set up bedrooms and everything, just waiting for you all to show up. Now, I should warn you, most people look at house elves as slaves. Not mine. They are family. Yes, they maintain the property, but I won’t put up with any form of mistreatment of them. We pick up after ourselves, and do not order them around for every little thing, okay?”

“Fine,” she groaned. “It’s not like we have a choice in anything happening in our lives anyway, right?”

She’s a regular ball of sunshine, isn’t she?

Love, her entire world has just been blown apart.

I know, but she could at least pretend to be a little less of a brat. At least until she was settled in. Should we not have told her the full truth? I know she said she wanted to know the whole story, but maybe it was a mistake?

“Alright,” Harrison said, hoisting himself to his feet. “We should get going.”

Imitating a bird, Fred put his arms out and ran around the room, gathering the other three girls, and with three cracks, they were gone.

Chapter 28

Harrison cooed at Adelaide, who was starting to fuss due to apparating. The other three simply looked a bit green.

Amara was the first to recover, then began bouncing in place, eyes wide. “Can we do that again?!”

“No!” Adalyn and Alessandra cried out together, stepping away.

“Alright, kiddies!” George said, giving a flamboyant bow. “Shall we have tea or a tour first?”

“Is the tour magic-y?!” Amara asked, grinning in anticipation. “Magic is sooooooo cool! Mum did a magic that made all the lights turn off and on and on and off!”

“What are we doing here, Harrison?” Alessandra asked, biting her lip in uncertainty.

“Who cares?” Amara asked excitedly. “We’re in a castle , Sandy! It’s a castle ! Ooh, is there any dragons?! Can I see a dragon?”

Okay, noted. Amara is a raging ball of energy.

Fred chuckled and picked her up. “I think that makes you a little princess, doesn’t it?”

“No,” Adalyn deadpanned, arms crossed. “It means we’re basically orphans, not princesses.”

“How can we be orphans?” Alessandra asked. “We have a mum.”

“No we d-”

Harrison cut Adalyn off, fully realising that telling her the full truth had, in fact, been a huge mistake. “She means that you’re all going to live here for now.” Love, could you take Adalyn for a walk to calm down, maybe in the gardens? I’ll talk to Alessandra and Amara. As George escorted the angry girl toward the door, he paused and ran back to grab Adelaide from Harrison’s arms. “Okay, I know you guys want to explore, and we will in a bit, but I’d like to talk to you both first.”

Amara gave an exaggerated sigh, but grabbed Harrison’s hand as he led them toward the sitting room.

“Thank you,” Harrison said quietly, knowing whichever elf was responsible would hear, upon seeing tea for four already set up. After they got their drinks and nibbles, Amara was settled on Harrison’s lap, Alessandra was seated on a velvet armchair across the small table, with Fred next to her on a matching chair.

Now that they were all there, Harrison had no idea what to say to them. Instead, he passed out a plate of scones to stall.

“Alright, you lot,” Fred said, his tone both serious and relatively light. “Now, we have to talk about something pretty important, okay?”

Alessandra looked a bit nervous, but Amara gave Harrison a big grin.

“You and your sisters are going to live here,” Harrison eventually said. What in Merlin’s name was he doing? “Your mummy knows we have a big family, and are happy to have some more girls to make things even. Before now, it was almost all boys!”

“We’re girls!” Amara said excitedly. “Now it’s not all boys!”

“What about mum?” Alessandra asked hesitantly. “Is she coming?”

“There’s the snag,” Fred said awkwardly. “Your mum is sure that this is the best place for all of you. We have lots of love and space and time to give you, but she isn’t happy with some of the family. That said, she wanted you all to have the big family she isn’t able to give you. Do you understand?”

“Does that mean mummy isn’t coming? Never ever?” Now Amara looked worried.

“She’s gone to stay with some friends,” Harrison lied. “But she made absolutely sure that you would all be taken care of. She wanted you to be able to spend time with your brothers and-”

“Brother s ?” Alessandra asked, brows knit in confusion. “How many do we have?”

“Well,” Harrison said, glad there was no breakdown yet. “Draco is my twin, even though we look nothing alike, and Fred and George are your brothers in law, because they’re married to me.”

Amara busied herself by counting on her fingers. After a few seconds, her eyes lit up and she gasped. “There is four boys and four girls! It’s the same now!”

“Yeah!” Fred chimed in happily. “We’re all even now!”

 

Harrison lay in bed, exhausted. Adelaide had fussed for quite some time before falling asleep, Amara was too wound up with being in ‘a real life castle!’ that settling down had seemed like a far off dream, Alessandra was oddly calm and contemplative, and Adalyn was short-tempered with everyone. At least the older girls had gone to bed at reasonable times, seeming a little too relieved at not being the ones made to tend their little sisters. They had dropped off around eleven, Adelaide stopped fussing and went to sleep around twelve thirty, and Amara had eventually worn herself out and fell asleep on George, who’d been reading a fifth bedtime story, just after two in the morning.

Of course, they’d followed suit and gone to bed immediately after Amara, but were woken to dirty-nappy cries around eight. Before Harrison could even sit up, Fred was already out of bed and yawning his way out of their room. But, because he’d been woken, Harrison couldn’t fall back to sleep. It was just as well, since they had to get up and see to breakfast before some of the family began to pile in. Neither the twins nor Harrison would confidently say they had everything planned and were fully prepared for parenting on such a level, and vehemently agreed that they needed help figuring things out.

Bella and Narcissa were coming over first, for which the triad was exceedingly grateful. There was a lot about ‘girl stuff’ that they weren’t prepared to shoulder for the elder two, and the Black sisters were going to find out the level of intervention needed in the girls’ knowledge of certain things, given their ages.

Sometime after lunch, Harrison’s parents, and the twins’ dad were coming over. They were going to help figure out the best way to get everyone into a reasonable routine to help keep everyone on track, and all of them together were going to sort out how to broach basic education for all four girls.

“I feel bad for Adalyn and Alessandra,” George muttered sleepily, rolling over to face his husband. “Don’t wanna overwhelm ‘em, but don’t want ‘em to miss out on Hogwarts either. Sucks.”

Harrison nodded in agreement, “I mean, we already know Adalyn can read, but that’s all. That said, it’d be logical to think that Alessandra can too, but what else were they taught?”

“Can’t imagine they’re completely lost,” George said, groaning as he dragged himself upright. “The other adults were in the trunk with them, so I’m sure at least one person saw to it that they at least know some basics.”

Harrison breathed a sigh of relief. Of course they would have been taught some things! “Hey, you’re actually coherent. You haven’t even had tea yet. That’s got to be some kind of record or something.”

Letting out a snort, George tipped an imaginary hat. “I think my brain is telling me that my lazy mornings are a thing of the past, and that I should probably get used to it.”

They both groaned and climbed out of bed. Yup, lazy mornings were most assuredly out the window, until their babies were old enough to look after themselves. Bugger.

 

Adalyn seemed to be more relaxed than yesterday, or she did until Harrison and George entered the kitchen. As soon as she saw her brother, the barely-there smile disappeared altogether.

Feeling a pang of confusion through the bond, and maybe a little hurt, Fred looked up from the hob.

“Where’s Eppie?” Harrison asked, trying to ignore the icy chill from his sister. “And why are you cooking?”

“He can’t be cooking,” George said, plonking down on a barstool. “Nothing’s burning.”

“I’m waiting for- aha!- ” a high pitched whistle cut him off. “For the kettle!” He finished, taking it off the heat. “And Eppie is getting the girls dressed with Pohy. They’re having far too much fun for me to interrupt, so I made tea!”

Harrison chuckled. “You mean you made hot water?” Grabbing a few containers of tea, he put them on the island, then put out sugar, lemon and cream. He didn’t know which tea everyone wanted, or how they took it, so he got it all ready.

“So,” George asked, yawning once more. “How did you sleep, Adalyn?”

“Fine,” came the short reply.

She’s downright chipper, isn’t she?

“Morning, everyone!” Alessandra said happily, smoothing down a set of brand new robes as she entered the kitchen.

They all returned the greeting with smiles.

“Hey, you look great,” Harrison said, genuinely pleased that the eleven year old seemed to be in a better mood than her older sister. “Like a proper witch!”

“And you’re still in sleep clothes!”

He snorted. “That’s easy enough to fix.” With a wave of his hand, his pyjamas were traded out for a long sleeved royal purple shirt and a pair of charcoal grey trousers. And if the trousers had an elastic waist, well…

Amara and Adelaide came into the room, both dressed up in new clothes. Adelaide seemed to be doing her best to yank hers off, but Amara was preening and twirling, and made sure that everyone saw the ‘prettiest butterflies ever!’ in her hair.

For the millionth time, Harrison was extraordinarily glad to have elves in the family. He had zero idea about little girls’ clothes, but the elves knew everything.

The next thing they knew, Fred was being shooed away from the hob as Eppie and Pohy got to work on breakfast.

 

No sooner was the last dish put onto the table when the floo chimed.

Pohy snapped her fingers and vanished, only to quickly return with Narcissa and Bella.

“Hi, Bunny!” Bella said cheerfully, before greeting the rest of the table’s occupants in a certain order. The twins were greeted together, then the girls were addressed by age.

“Harrison, thank you for having us,” Narcissa said respectfully, then greeted everyone else in the same order.

“Starting your lessons so soon?” Harrison joked.

Narcissa smiled softly. “Of course, my darling pseudo son. That is why we have been invited, is it not?”

“What lessons?” The two elder sisters asked in unison, whilst Bella kept Amara from digging into her food with her hands.

“We’re to help you all learn the ways of the woman,” Bella declared dramatically. “That includes knowing when it’s necessary. You saw the way we came in? We showed you two different ways to behave when you enter someone’s home. Cissy, of course, did things the proper way. I, on the other hand, did things very informally. Either is perfectly acceptable, as we are family, and there is no company. Had there been company, I would have said my hello’s the proper way.” At that, she stuck her nose in the air and pretended everything was beneath her, all the while, trying not to giggle.

“And we have to learn this because…?” Adalyn prompted flippantly, dragging out the word ‘because’.

“It is necessary because you are now wards of some of the most influential families in Europe. Your brother holds a great deal of political power, as do his parents, and your actions are a reflection of these families.” Narcissa nodded firmly.

“Oh, don’t scare them, Cissy!” Bella chided, rolling her eyes as she turned her attention to the girls. “Granted, what she said is true, but all of this can be a lot of fun. There are parties, shopping, outings to wherever your heart desires, and when you start Hogwarts, you’ll have no shortage of friends and suitors-”

“Hey, hey!” Harrison blurted out. “No talk of suitors! I don’t think they’ve even met anyone who wasn’t family!”

“So says the married fifteen year old ,” Adalyn snapped.

“That was an accident,” Harrison replied immediately, sending mental assurances through the bond. “Which is precisely why their instruction is so necessary. Any missteps with potential suitors could have disastrous consequences that none of us are prepared to face.”

“You’re so dramatic, Bunny,” Bella said, cackling a bit. “We have plenty of time to get the girls appropriately educated before they get to school.”

“We’re not stupid!” Adalyn shouted as she slammed her hand on the table, startling everyone.

“Nobody said you were stupid, Adalyn,” Harrison said calmly, wondering how long her awful attitude was going to last. “Everyone who isn’t a muggleborn goes through etiquette lessons. Well, even some muggles do it. Besides, I’m going to be listening in on a lot of it, as I was raised by muggles.”

“Why?” Adalyn demanded. “If you’re soooo important, then why would you be raised by muggles?”

“Because I was stolen,” Harrison replied with a shrug, deciding that Adalyn had probably forgotten that bit during the influx of information the night before. “Then dropped off with some bad people who never wanted anything to do with me or magic. That said, I had never even heard of magic outside of books I’d read in the public library, until I got my Hogwarts letter on my eleventh birthday.”

At that, Adalyn remained silent, a strange look on her face.

“But, mum and the others told us about doing accidental magic when they were young,” Alessandra said, brows knit in confusion. “Didn’t you do that?”

Harrison chuckled, thinking of the time he’d accidentally apparated, but had convinced himself that wind , of all things, had lifted him to the top of the school. “Yeah, I did. But because of how I was raised, I had to force myself to come up with other explanations. Looking back on it, though, most of the explanations I’d come up with were more barmy than magic.”

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of cliche